Spiritflame
by Nikaya
Summary: After the war and Zuko has finally found his mother, Azula breaks out of prison in search revenge. After the tragedy, Zuko is engulfed by grief and attempts suicide. Where he ends up shocks not only him but the people he meets.
1. Chapter One: Rescue

**Hello everyone! I have redone the first few chapters of Spiritflame to make it flow much more smoothly. I'll be publishing them sporadically and then new chapters to come! I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Chapter One: Rescue**

_*Nick*_

I was brought into a small room with a red curtain. I pushed past the curtain, and to my surprise, I saw them standing there, flesh and blood.

The blue arrow on his head glistened, and the necklace around her neck was shimmering in the artificial light of the room around us. The girl with the dark hair was smirking as usual, and the boy with the boomerang was smiling, holding his beloved girlfriend as well. They held their arms open wide, and I raced over to hug them.

It had been a long time since the last time I had a dream a pleasant as this one. I missed Aang and everyone dearly, but for some reason, I couldn't have dreams about them anymore.

I gently released myself from the hug with tears streaming down my face. I wiped them away quickly, and we smiled at each other, no words passing between us. The usual air of comfort overwhelmed me, and I glowed.

They proceeded with their small gathering. We silently talked about how things were at the South Pole, school, and the ending of the war. We laughed in silence as time appeared to be on our side for once.

Suddenly, I felt an invisible force taking hold of me. I reached out to my family, but they continued laughing and talking. No one noticed I was being pulled away.

I was dragged behind the curtain at the front of the room. Suddenly, the force released me, but something else grabs my wrists.

I looked up and saw a cloaked figure dressed in red from head to toe. The shadowy figure's face was hidden and I only felt the heat from his skin burn my arms as the person held me.

My kidnapper finally pulled back his hood, and my breath caught in my throat and stayed there.

His face was scarred. He had shaggy, black hair. His gold eyes bore down into my being and shook me from the inside out.

"Find me."

And then I woke up.

_*Zuko*_

I stepped out of bed and into my satin slippers. I pulled on my robe and let my hair fall out of its ponytail. I walked out of the room and down the long hallway to the dining area. When I saw the food on the table, I immediately looked to the head of the table where Mai sat, reading a scroll. My Uncle Iroh sat next to her, and my mother, Ursa was to her left. She looked up when she heard me walk in.

"Good morning, Firelord Sleep-in," Mai said, actually smiling. Since the war ended, we all moved into the palace together. Mai was happier than I had ever seen her, and it filled me with joy.

I walked down the long table and kissed my mother good morning and then I kissed Mai on the lips. "Better late, than never. Good morning, Mom."

"Good morning, Firelord Zuko." She sighed, and looked at me with watery eyes. "I'm so proud of you."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Zuko."

"This must be the happiest family in all of the Fire Nation," Uncle said, glowing.

"This _is_ the happiest family in the _world_," I corrected. I couldn't have wished for a better ending to a not-so enjoyable story. But it doesn't even matter.

In the end, everything turned out different from how I had always dreamed...

But it was perfect.

"Zuko?" Mai asked me, looking worried. "Something wrong?"

I smiled. "Of course not." I paused for a minute, taking it all in. I grabbed a chunk of bread off the table and put it in my coat pocket. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back later."

"Be careful!" my mother called after me.

I walked down the hallway to the Entry Hall and down the hallway to the back of the palace. It lead me to the pond where everything began for me.

I stepped down the small staircase and sat at the bench beside the pond. I took out the bread and fed the turtle ducks. As I sat there, I remembered feeding them with my mother, the time Mai fell into the pond, and how much thinking I've done in this spot...

But most importantly, it was where I proposed to Mai.

I was so relieved that everything was finally settling into place for me. I knew this was how it was meant to be...

And yet...

Something wasn't right.

"Zuko."

I turned over my shoulder to see Mai stride down the steps. She sat next to me on the bench and I put my arm around her shoulders, kissing her tenderly on the lips.

"I know you. What's bothering you?" she inquired, calmly. When she worries, she still is always careful to not give anything away.

"That's just it... Nothing." Mai looked at my quizzically and I chuckled. "Maybe it's just because I'm used to there always being something wrong. I've had to struggle my entire life to just stay alive or prove myself. Now? I don't have to anymore... And it just feels so foreign to me... This...this..." I trailed off.

"Peace?"

I nodded.

"You'll get used to it." She leaned her head against my shoulder. "Or I'll have to make you." She punched my ribs softly as a little reminder that she cared.

I smiled. "Ow! That hurt!" I exclaimed loudly as I rolled my eyes.

Her face hardened but playfully. "Want me to make it hurt?"

I grabbed her around the waist and tackled her to the floor. "I can make it tickle," I said, smirking.

"Oh no...Not this again..." I started to tickle her in the grass around the pond. Her laugh was rough from underuse for so long. But it always made me smile.

If I could just stay like this with her forever...

I stopped tickling her and kissed her on the lips. She held my hand and entwined her fingers with mine.

I'd be happy for the first time.

There was a deafening explosion that sounded not too far away.

"Zuko! What's happening?!" Mai yelled at me over the roar of another explosion. The ceiling above our bed shook, and started to fall on us.

"Come on!" I yelled back. I grabbed her hand and we ran.

We raced down the corridors of the palace. There was smoke in every direction, and we covered our faces and coughed along the way. My vision blurred as the smoke made my eyes tear, but as we approached the palace Entry Hall, the usually somewhat calmer knot in my stomach tightened and blood pulsed behind my cheeks as I realized what was happening when the guards started towards us.

"She's escaped! She's here! Five men have been shot already, your highness."

"Get everyone out of here!" I managed to yell over yet another deafening roar of the palace crumbling around us.

"But sir!" My most trusted advisor wanted Mai and I to be safe, but lives were at stake.

I gripped his shoulders forcefully but gently. "Go! Now!"

He stared at me for a moment longer, his eyes searching for some kind of weakness to allow him to protect me. His closed his eyes and then asked, "Your mother?"

"She is your main priority! Be sure Uncle is with her. Now move out!"

"Yes sir!" He saluted me as he turned to run away, but stopped for a moment and he mouthed the words I didn't want to hear anyway. "Be careful."

I didn't turn back as we pushed our way through the palace doors and onto the Grand Staircase at the front of the palace. And of course, there she stood.

_Azula._


	2. Chapter Two: Vengence

**Chapter Two: Vengence**

_*Zuko*_

_Azula._

Her eyes glowed wildly; much more so than when I last saw her six months ago...same spot...same desire. She shot a lightning bolt at the last guard standing behind her, finishing him off. The silence rung in my ears until I heard Mai bring out her throwing stars behind me.

"Zuzu!" she called to me, slightly hysterically. "How nice it is to see you!" And with that, the end had begun.

Mai and I charged at her head-on with fire being punched from the very fists that had supposedly locked her away forever...until now. Azula used her blue fire to create jets behind her and she started towards us. She started to send the blue flames our way uncontrollably, and we both managed to dodge the first few attacks, but I was hit in the stomach in the very spot I was burned six months ago. I screamed in agonizing pain, not recognizing the sound of my own voice. I hit the ground and fell onto my side.

"ZUKO!" Mai rushed towards me, first doing a front roll as a blue flame landed in the very spot she was standing not seconds before. Another flame shot towards her but she threw three stars at the fireball, slicing it in three places and disintegrating it. She sprinted and finally landed at my side. That's when my vision began to blur.

"Zuko!" Mai yelled. She turned to Azula. "You'll pay for that!" she sscreamed, shooting daggers. She did a front roll as Azula shot a ball of fire. She did a front flip when Azula kicked fire at her. I was finally able to get back on my feet. I stood up and started running at Azula. My scar protested, but I felt my heart cheering me on. Azula and Mai are now in hand-to-hand combat and as Azula shoots a flame, Mai pushes her hand out of the way. As she flips her arm behind her back, Azula finds that Mai left the side she was turning towards defenseless.

Azula caught my eye and smiled.

"_MAI!"_

Mai stopped where she was, her eyes completely open wide, and she dropped her stars and fell to her knees. Then Azula pulled her hand out from Mai's shoulder blade, holding one of her throwing stars, covered in blood.

Mai fell.

I raced over, fighting back tears of agonizing pain, forcing myself to keep from going under. Then, I used both of my hands as well as my mouth to send a wall of orange flames at Azula, finally knocking her out.

I stopped for a minute and just stared. I stared at nothing... Then, without me telling them to do so, my feet dragged forward toward the pool of red around Mai. I waded through and found myself crumbling at her side. I picked up her head and kissed her blood-stained forehead.

Tears refused to stop pouring down my face. My body didn't stop shaking. I sat in silence with the lifeless beauty lying in my arms.

The world seemed to lose all air.

My heart was dead.

All emotion was gone but the overwhelming agony.

It was no longer the physical pain that hurt.

I kissed her on the lips, hard. Then, I kissed her head, cheeks, neck, and hands repeatedly, wanting some way for me to wake up and to have her raspy, crystal fire voice in my ear.

"_It was only a dream, Zuko."_

But it wasn't.

She was gone.

I stayed like that for hours...maybe longer. Night had already fallen. I touched my lips to hers gently one last time before standing up.

I picked her up in my arms and started to walk through the empty palace. Everyone was gone. The palace was covered in ash and ruble. I didn't feel my feet carry me or feel her weight on my arms. I just went where my body took me.

I allowed my body to take us to the palace pond where we played as children all those years ago. I dug a grave for her, and after hours of hard labor, she was buried. I set her favorite flowers on her grave, (lavender) and said a prayer, asking for the great Avatars of the past to watch over her. I stood there just staring at the grave...And then...

I ran.

I ran fast...and far.

I don't know where my body took me, but when I awoke, I found myself at the shore. I stood up and looked out over the ocean. I looked into the clear, blue water and saw my tattered reflection.

My shirt was ripped on my sleeves and had dark red patches of blood everywhere. The place where I was burned for a second time was torn open, and a gaping wound showed things that no one should ever have to see. My face was black with dirt and my lips were stained dark red. I cupped some water in my hands and splashed it over my face. The water didn't give me any feeling back.

I stood up again and looked out at the sunrise on the horizon. The wind blew my blood-stained hair out of my eyes and I felt the warmth of the sun on my face without truly feeling it.

Then jumped into the water. It felt cold against my skin, but I didn't care anyway.

I swam. I swam hard, and didn't care how much my body ached. I didn't feel anything anymore.

And then my body gave up.

I was going under.

I choked on the water that began to fill my lungs. I gripped at my throat, trying to somehow get the water out.

Nothing worked, and I was going further into the darkness of the depths of the ocean.

If this is it, then I can see Mai again.

To see her, I will happily go under.

But there's one problem.

What if I wasn't going to her and rather a place for people like me?

But I didn't have any more time than that to ponder it because everything went black.

_*Nick*_

I woke up and stretched, looking at my clock. For the first time in ages, I got lucky. It was only about eight. I had some time to myself for the first time in months. My sister would still be asleep, and my mom and step-dad are snoring in bed downstairs.

I decide to use my time to watch some reruns that I never get to watch anymore. I feed my cat, Kya and turn on the T.V. Then, I realize that I haven't recorded an episode since two years ago. My feet miserably drag me back to my room and I use what few episodes on my iPod that I have. I decide for some reason to watch "Zuko Alone." I don't remember why I downloaded it, but obviously it had some significance.

When the "_Previously...On Avatar..." _is done, I realize what was so important to me about the episode. I turn it off, feeling the tears come, and watch "The Waterbending Scroll" instead.

Toward the end of the episode, Katara is attempting to learn the Waterwhip, but the stream of water drops to the ground. Then, she hears metal grinding, and she runs to some bushes. When she parts them, she sees Zuko's ship on the beach. She turns to run away, but a pirate grabs her.

"_No, let go of me!"_

She creates another attempt at a Waterwhip and smacks the pirate in the face. He releases her, but then she runs right into Zuko, and he grabs her wrists.

"_I'll save you from the pirates."_

My breath catches in my throat as I try to breathe. I pause the episode as the scene cuts to black. I get a serious overwhelming feeling of Déjà Vu, and I try to think back to at time when something like thing happened to me.

Then, it hits me.

The dream I had.

I sit there completely stunned by the similarity of the dream and the episode. It was almost the same, but instead of me being Katara, he was talking to me. And not only that, but what he said was totally different.

"_Find me."_

The words seemed to haunt me with an eerie essence to them. I feel like they mean something, but what?

I flip through my iPod quickly, and watch "Zuko Alone." As I remember how alike Zuko and I are, I shudder and a tear comes to my eye when I realize that I misjudged his character by a long shot. I thought that he just didn't handle his emotions right, but when I finished watching the episode, I realized the little details of the episode that showed that Zuko was good.

But what's making me curious now is that very connection that I continuously denied the entire show. I thought I was the most similar to Katara, and all of my friends always say how motherly I am, and how much I remind them of her.

But if I stop and think, Zuko and Katara aren't all that different.

As I allow my curiosity to get the better of me, I can't help but wonder about Zuko's past...and mine.

Maybe we are a lot alike.

Maybe we are the same.

Maybe...

Suddenly, a loud noise completely brought me out of my thoughts. It sounded like it came from outside, but I couldn't be sure.

I quickly put my iPod away and ran out of my room. From the sound of it, the noise hadn't woken up my parents or my sister...or even the dog.

I grabbed my jacket from the railing and flew down the steps. I skipped the last few and landed on the bottom with a _thump._ It proved my theory of silence correct because still, no one made a sound. It was like I had a veil of soundproof air around me. I decided not to experiment with it further, being that most of these miraculous things tend to be over pretty quick for me, and I ran out the back door.

The morning air was crisp but warm on my skin and I looked up at the blazing sun. It sent warm chills down my spine and looked around to find the source of the noise. The water in the pool was moving, and I stared at it, cautiously. I wondered why it would be stirred, or what could have made the entire in-ground pool suddenly move. I slowly made my way up the steps that led to the pool area and opened the gate. I took a deep breath and looked into the pool.

And what I see... both scares me half to death and makes my heart leap.

In the bottom of the deep end, I see a person dressed in red from head to toe. His hair appears to be black, and he has bandages around chest. Then, I realize he isn't moving.

I ponder what the end results of my decision could be as I take off my jacket, sneakers, socks and I pull my hair back. I take a deep breath and jump in.

The water is cool but not completely freezing. I take another breath and dive.

I push my way below the surface, seeing the rays of the sun shine on the mystery person's face. There seems to be a blotch of blood on his face, but it's hard to tell what he looks like in the water. I try not to think about why he would be in my backyard but rather try to focus on saving him. I finally reach him almost at the very bottom of the pool, and I grab his arm and pull it over my shoulders. He had to have been alive because a dead body would float, so I thrash and kick and struggle my way to the surface, trying to hold both his weight and my own. An inch or so below the surface, I lose my breath and I feel my lungs ache and protest against the water threatening to engulf them.

Then, I reach the surface.

I do exactly as I was taught to do, and I pull his arm behind me, keeping his head above the water. I pull him into the shallow end of the pool, and I sit him gently on the steps. I lay his head against the side of the pool, and then I gasp in shock.

The face...is that of someone I knew I'd never be able to meet...or find.

I shiver from both the cool air and the sight of his face. Not only is it really him, but something else worries me.

His face has a cut with dried blood, and his chest is completely red. The scar on his face seems to be the least of his problems now.


	3. Chapter Three: Life

**Chapter Three: Life**

_*Nick*_

Adrenaline has always been something heard and not seen. I hear about it and how when people are under a lot of stress or pain, that's what pulls them through. There's been miraculous stories of how people lift trucks to save someone they love. There have been stories of people in pain that should have killed them, but somehow, they lived through it to tell the tale.

This is when I discovered the power adrenaline can have over you.

You don't feel... Your body allows instinct to take over your thoughts, actions, and emotions. And when I saw him laying there...that's exactly what happened.

I don't remember how, but all I know is that... well... I guess it's about my passion for Avatar. I never was crazy about him. But for some reason, I pitied him.

The next thing I was consciously aware of was that he somehow ended up on the couch in my room upstairs. I laid him there and gave him an ice cold towel to put on his head. I did the best I could with cleaning the gash on his stomach, but I had to put tons of blankets on the couch so as not to get it soaked in blood. When the bleeding finally stopped, (over a half hour later) I put more gauze on his stomach and gave him an old tee shirt to wear while I wash his robe. His pants were drenched in blood but didn't DARE to go there. I gave him some slippers as well, and I laid a pair of sweatpants on the couch that were my step-dad's for when he wakes up. I made him some cereal and a cup of tea and put it on my desk. After that, I just sat on the floor next to the couch, (with my door locked so my sister wouldn't find us) and washed the blood out of his hair.

I didn't pay attention to washing the blood, but instead I just stared at him, both of us taking shallow, uneven breaths. Although they were different reasons, I feel so close to him right now that I let a tear spill down my cheek, hoping he'd be alright.

Another two hours later, I woke up. I look around, but I don't move my head. I feel something light on my head, and something warm that I'm laying on. I slowly but carefully look around when I realize I fell asleep on his chest after cleaning the blood off. My breathing becomes shallow again as I realize that his hand is on my head. I gently reach up, and I hold his hand. I look at his exhausted, dreamlike expression and hope that I'm not dreaming. I take his hand and put it up to my face, his palm holding my right cheek. I take my other hand and gently rest it on his heart. His heart is almost red-hot, and his blood is pulsing furiously. I smile as I watch him sleep.

_*Zuko*_

"_MAI!_" I scream, seeing her mangled on the floor. I shake her shoulders, trying fruitlessly to wake her up.

"_MAI!"_

I'm in water...losing consciousness. I feel water begin to flow into my lungs, engulfing my entire body. I feel stabbing pain in my chest as I try to choke it out, but it's no use. My eyes start to close when I faintly hear a splash a feet way. I catch a glimpse of a small figure, but then everything goes black.

There is nothing but red. It's as if I'm swimming in my own pool of blood. If this is heaven, then where's Mai?

Unless I went to hell...? Great. Just what I needed. I can never see her or my family again, and I'm eternally damned. Let the fun begin.

I start choking and sputtering again, and I realize that this must be part of the torture package. I continuously cough with my eyes closed. But then I sit up, trying not to be hurt any further. I clench my eyes tightly, and I choke until I feel blood come up into my throat. I spit it out and lay back down. I groan and try to open my eyes.

My vision is blurry, but I still try to open them slowly. I look up and see a white ceiling.

Then I see a girl.

"AH!" I shout, shooting a ball of fire at her head with my fist. The girl screams and jumps backward, the force of the blast knocking her against the wall behind her. She gets up and holds up her hands.

"I didn't mean to startle you! I was trying to help you!" Her hand is slightly red. The blast must have missed her face but brushed against her hand.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" I shouted at her. My voice sounded so weak that I sounded pathetic when I tried to stand up to her. I tried to get up, but I quickly fell down, landing on a blue carpet.

"Please! I've been taking care of you. Let me help you."

"I don't need it!" I pushed my hands down hard on the unfamiliar floor and I got into a fighting stance, facing her. I gripped my stomach with one arm. "I am Firelord Zuko of the Fire Nation! I do not require help!"

"You're in pain," she said, pointing to my stomach. "I just want to help you..." Her voice was soft and soothing. I wondered briefly why she looked so funny. Her hair was that of...Katara's skin, sort of dark but not quite brown. But her face didn't make sense because she had blue eyes like a Water Tribe girl. All Water Tribe people have brown hair. In fact, I've never seen this color on a human before.

"Who are you working for?! Are you helping Azula?!"

"NO! Never! I'm on your side! Honest! Please, I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore than you already have. You're in pain! I can help you!" I looked down at my bandages. They'd been replaced and tended to.

"Prove it!" I yelled, my voice, raspy.

"I...how? I'm not from..." she trailed off, thinking quickly. "What do you need to prove I'm on your side?"

"Nothing!" I kicked two more fireballs in her direction, but she dodged them with a front roll and a front handspring. They disintegrated before hitting the wall.

"Please stop! I thought you had changed!" she screamed at me, dodging another blow. I paused for a moment.

"Katara?"

She looked up at me, slightly out of breath. "Not quite..." she smiled at the comment.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm a big fan of yours and hers," she said matter-of-factly. "I loved your show."

"Show? You mean the play about us? That stunk!"

"No...I mean – OH!" She had an epiphany. "Can I show you something?"

I didn't lower my guard but rather I shook my head. She went into a drawer and pulled out a book. The book wasn't in ink, but it had an odd look to it.

"What's this?" I asked, looking at the picture of Aang, Sokka, and Katara on the front cover.

"It's a handbook about your show," she said pointing to the cover. "Everyone here knows everything about you guys."

I don't know what the heck she's talking about, but I opened the book up to the first page anyway. It looked like a bunch of scribbles.

"What is this? Some kind of code?" I asked, trying to read it.

"Oh, I forgot. You can't read English, can you?" she looked at me as I cocked my head to the side. "Here," she said, gently reaching for the book. Our hands brushed and she was warm to the touch. "I'll read it to you."

I sat there for a little while listening to her read this peculiar book of hers. It had every basic fact about the world, but I didn't understand why.

"Why would you have a book like this? Don't you know most of this already? And how do you read that crap?" I asked, even more confused.

"Because this place is called Earth."

"What's He-arth?"

"No. Earth..." she said it slowly to make me understand. She furrowed her eyebrows, shaking her head at me. "This is so unreal... Come with me...please?" She looked straight into my eyes, pleadingly.

Maybe it was her wonder. Maybe it was those blue eyes that made my heart ache for my friends. Maybe it was my helplessness. But I found myself agreeing. "Fine."

I followed her through two doors and into an odd colored room. There was a big black thing at the front of the room.

"What is that?" I asked.

"This is called a television. Also known as a T.V." She smiled at me again, her eyes bright, but worn.

I tried not to notice how tired she seemed. "What does it do?"

"I'll show you." She pressed a button on a small little rectangle thing in her hand, and it made a few noises and then I saw images of people of it.

"WOAH! I mean...how does that work?" I said with a cough, catching myself.

"Let me just show you something, and then you can ask all the questions you want. Deal?"

"I'll consider it..."

"Sit," she said, patting the bed.

"I'll pass." I leaned against the wall next to her, not quite trusting everything going on. I folded my arms and looked at the black thing.

"Okay..." She pressed a few more buttons and then said, "Watch this."

The 'T.V.' started talking with the voice of Katara.

"Water. (A flash of a Waterbender was seen).

"Earth. (An Earthbender.)

"Fire. (I clenched my fists when I saw Azula.)

"Air. (Then I saw Aang.)

"Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony.

"Then, the fire nation attacked.

"Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them...

"But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

"A hundred years passed, and my brother and I discover the new Avatar: an Airbender named Aang.

"And although his Airbending skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone.

"But I believe...Aang can save the world."

"That's all you have to see." She did something with the triangle and the image stopped on something that said...something in scribble again. "It says, 'Avatar: The Last Airbender.'"

"So you know everything about me?"

"Yes."

And as I looked at her clothing, the odd room, the weird black thing, and my other surroundings, I realized I wasn't in the Fire Nation.

"Where am I?"

"You have a lot to learn, my friend."

"So...this isn't the Fire Nation...Is it?"

"Here," she said choosing her words carefully, "it doesn't exist."

"That's impossible!" I threw my arms down in frustration. "I'm the Fire Lord!" The girl's body tensed but didn't show her nervousness in her face. I took a deep breath. "What does it say?"

Her body relaxed a bit. "You see that scribble?" she asked pointing at the T.V. again. "It also says, 'created by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.' They are the ones who created all of it. It's a fictional story...a made up world."

"But...I'm here, aren't I?"

"It's not every day that a fake character lands in your swimming pool," she said with a slight eye roll. I couldn't understand the sarcasm, so I didn't let it bother me.

I sighed, and I finally realized that I was never going back. I looked down at my feet and saw the clothing similar to that of the girl's.

"What is this stuff?"

"Part of your new wardrobe. Do you want me to brief you on how things work around here?" She smirked, her eyes still glowing despite her obvious exhaustion.

"That would be nice." I allowed myself a small smile.

She gave me some pants, and I put them on in the washroom. She showed me how to use, 'the toilet' as well.

Once I was changed, I opened the door and she told me to sit on the toilet seat. She took a towel and wet it with water before coming towards me.

"I need to clean out those gashes." She said, cocking her lips to the side.

"It's not that bad. I've been through worse."

"Have you looked in the mirror yet?"

I stood up slowly, wincing in pain. The girl grabbed my upper arm to hold me upright. My eyes widened and I looked down at her, concern etched across her face.

"I'm fine," I say, trying to stand. I take a deep breath and stand, looking into the mirror.

My lips are cut badly, dried blood covering them. The bandages on my chest are nearly soaked through with red, and arms are covered in burns. My jaw actually dropped.

"No you're not." She helped me sit back down as I winced in obvious agony. She took care to remove the bandages slowly and cleaned out the gashes on my chest. After that mess was taken care of, she kneeled on the floor in front of me. She took the wet towel and rubbed it gently on my lips. She didn't look up at me, but I couldn't help but stare. I guessed her age to be around 15, and her eyes just brought me back to that day that I earned Katara's trust.

She looked up at me and we locked eyes for a second.

"I'm sorry." I said with a cough. "I didn't mean to stare."

"It's fine." She continued patting my chin and lip. "You must miss everyone back home."

My breath caught.

She noticed and looked up at me. Her eyes made me ache for home.

"It's alright. You don't have to tell me." She smiled. "I'll help you. Whatever you need. I promise."

I just stared into her eyes for a minute.

"Thank you."

She gave me a tour of her house and taught me what a "spoon" and a "fork" was. The "toaster" made some delicious...what was it? Poptarts I believe...Those were good. She showed me what a "cat" was. Not a cat-boar, or a cat-goat, or even a catfish. Just...a cat. When we were done with "the basics," she told me that I was okay for now.

"Now comes the harder part."

"And that is...?"

"My family."

"Aren't they always difficult?" At first she looked down, but then I smiled and she knew it was a joke.

"Well...my sister may not be able to keep your secret...but my mom and step-dad will wonder where you came from."

"Your 'step-dad'?"

"Yeah... He's nice, though."

"Where's your father?"

"Another thing you and I have in common." And then she turned away. "Come on. I have some things I want to show you."

She took me back into her bedroom and pointed to the well-drawn picture of a man with the same face as her.

"Who drew that? It's amazing!"

"A camera. It snaps pictures of things in two seconds. Another machine."

I raised my eyebrows at her, impressed. I picked up the frame, gently, and I brushed my hand across his face. She looked at me, smiled, and then looked back at the picture.

"He was very handsome," I told her. I meant it too. He had the same peculiar hair and eyes.

"Thank you."

"You look exactly like him."

She smiled. "My favorite compliment." She gently touched the gold necklace she wore. It had a badge on it.

"Was that...?"

"Yes. He...was a fireman."

"A what?! A Firebender?!"

"No," she said laughing a little. "Just the opposite in fact. A fireman is someone who fights fires when buildings or other places catch on fire. He was like a Waterbender in that sense. He also loved Tai Chi like I do. Waterbending is based on Tai Chi, ironically enough."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"It's alright. I'm fine." She gave me a half smile. "He's in here." She pointed to her heart.

"Would you mind...if I asked you something?"

"You've been asking me questions all morning," she laughed, her voice like chimes. "Shoot."

"Why do you look like that? And your dad too. Did your hair get stained or something?"

"Funny you ask. I'm the only one with this color hair in my family. My sister is pure blonde, a lighter color, but I'm the only one with this color. It's called sable blonde, by the way, with the faint red tints you can only see in the sun. It's the exact same color as my dad's. My eyes, too. I'm the only one with blue eyes in my family at all."

"You're unique and like your father. He'd be proud of you."

She held her necklace again. "Thank you."

"My pleasure. Tell me something about you. I mean, I know about your dad... What else is there to know about you?"

"Let's play 5 questions- a shortened version of twenty questions. You ask me a question, and I'll ask you one."

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"You're only fourteen?! How the hell did you carry me to your room?"

"Don't ask me because honestly, I have no idea." She shrugged, but I could tell it bothered her. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen. What's your...favorite thing to do?"

"Have fun with my friends. How and did you find your mom?"

"I traveled to the Earth Kingdom and I found her there as a palace servant. Good question. Weapon of choice?"

"My own strength." She paused because she saw me do a double take. "I've done ninjutsu so a few years. If that doesn't work, then a baton will do. What do you do for fun?"

"Firebend."

"Of course," she said smirking.

"You would too if you could bend. It's like a release of your inner emotions. It's like an extension of yourself."

"I've always wanted to bend...or something, at least. It sounds incredible."

"It is, believe me... What's your daily routine?"

"I get up, get ready, go to school-"

"Go to school? Aren't you a little old for that?"

"Aren't you a little young to not go to school?"

"What do you mean?"

"In this world, no one bends and no kids have to take care of the family. We go to school to learn and then get better jobs."

"Wow. How long do you go for?"

"From age five to age eighteen. If you started now though, you'd have a lot of catching up to do."

"Well, I know English, just not reading or writing it."

"What about other subjects? Science, math," She cocked an eyebrow. "Social Studies?"

"Actually, you'd be surprised how much commanding a ship requires math."

"Science you wouldn't know a thing."

"Probably not... I don't know what that even is."

"And Social Studies is the history of our country so obviously not... Hey! I just realized something!" She went into her desk drawer again and pulled out a map of my world. "The Fire Nation is in the same place that we're in! See, right there!" She put her finger on the Fire Nation.

"That's weird."

"My turn. What do you do in the palace?"

"Have breakfast in the dining hall, direct orders to the military, visit the town, help rebuild nearby villages, and then I go home and do whatever I feel like."

"Lucky. I get work to bring home."

"You get it there and home?! That's not right."

"Tell me about it..."

"Okay...Let's see...Who's your favorite character on the...'show'?"

"Hmm...I'd have to say Katara."

I raised an eyebrow. "Should I be offended?"

She laughed, whole heartedly. "Only in the beginning though. She got too motherly. But I definitely could relate in her in 'The Southern Raiders.'"

"I would imagine so..." I trailed off. I couldn't imagine losing my Uncle or Mom now that I have them. I didn't dare think about...

"How did you get so hurt?"

_Mai._

I sighed and shrugged. "It's in the past." I hoped she didn't suspect anything from the shakiness of my voice. If I talked to her about it... I just might fall apart.

"Please? I just want to help you." she smiled softly, and it pained me to hide it... I needed to get it out. All of my pent up anger from over the years was released when I realized what it was actually from. Maybe this time, I should just...let it go.

So I told her.

I told her all of it.

From when I woke up that morning, to waking up on her couch.

"Zuko...I'm so sorry." She looked near tears.

"I just don't understand it. Every time I try to be good, be myself, something bad always happens in the end."

"Don't say that! It's not true!" she placed her right hand over mine and looked into my eyes.

"Look at how I ended up. I tried killing myself." I looked down, utterly ashamed. "But I'm glad I didn't." I looked at her. "Now I might have a friend."

She glowed. "Of course. I'll be here for you. Al – AH!" she yelped.

"What's wrong?"

"My hand!" I saw her left hand on the floor behind her, now being shaken out. "I just put it down on the floor for one second, and it started hurting really bad!"

"I'm so sorry! I thought you were helping Azula!"

"It's fine. I've dealt with worse." She smiled at me again, rubbed her hand, and I sat there watching her for a minute. She seemed to always make light of things.

"What's your name?"

"Excuse me?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"Your name? What is it?"

"Oh! I didn't tell you? Nicolette. Nicolette Mente." She paused and thought for a second. "You can call me Nick."

"That is a beautiful name."

"Thanks. My dad picked it out."

"It's-"

"Nick! Breakfast is ready!" I heard a female voice from outside the bedroom.

"Okay, to my parents, your name is... hmm... Ash. Ash... Kaen. And you went to a place called 'camp' with me. Got it?"

"Ash Kaen. Camp. Got it."


	4. Chapter Four: Welcome

**Chapter Four: Welcome**

_*Nick*_

I go downstairs and tell him to wait for me in my room. I walk into the kitchen and see my step-dad making egg sandwiches with bacon for breakfast.

"Yum!" I exclaim. Maybe a little over-dramatically considering my nerves... My sister notices.

"Someone slept late," she said, rolling her brown eyes at me.

"Morning, Nick!" my mom said, kissing me on the cheek. "Slept late again, I see. Did you have a good sleep?"

"Somewhat," I replied, smirking. My step-dad, Zach was staring at me again. "What now?" I asked, rolling my eyes. He continues to stare at me. "What?" I ask again, not expecting an answer. "Weirdo." He laughs and says good morning to me. "You are so weird."

"Thank you."

"Wait a second...do I smell..." my mom inquires, "...blood?"

I took a deep breath. "Mom...I have this friend from camp this summer... And his name is Ash. Ash Kaen. And...Well...I sort of...found him." I talked more quickly now to get my point across before they interrupted. "This morning when you guys were asleep, I found him unconscious, outside. I brought him into the house and I helped him upstairs." I didn't want to tell them I lifted a seventeen year old kid. "He's really nice, and-"

"Whoa! Slow down!" My mom interrupted me. "You mean there's a strange boy I don't know upstairs right now?"

"Well... When he came to, he said his parents kicked him out. He was abused at home, and he has nowhere to live now. The police arrested his parents, and he has no other family. I'm his only friend." I added in that last bit to explain why they couldn't just go looking for his family. It was all I could think of that would get them to buy it. Plus, it'll help explain the wounds. "He's been out on the streets for days, just looking for me." When I saw the tears in my mom's eyes, I knew she'd bought it, so I stopped the run-on story there. "Please can we help him? He's really hurt...and I don't mean just emotionally."

"Where is he?" my step-dad asked.

"In my room," I said loud enough so he could hear me. My step-dad started for the stairs and I trailed after him. My mom, followed by Cleo, quickly tagged along. "He's on the couch. He fell back asleep after I cleaned him up a bit and gave him some clothes." Again, I was at a perfect decibel. I was surprised at how easily they bought it. I mean, why would an abusive set of parents ship their kids to camp? To get rid of them for a summer, maybe? I was only there during the week and I came home at four. I didn't ponder it though. There are other things to worry about right now.

We walked into my room, and there he was, asleep on the couch, just like that. I couldn't help but think how impressive that was. My mom clasped her hand over her mouth, and she started crying...on the spot. Zach just looked at him, shaking his head, and then he looked at his wounds. He stopped when he saw his face.

"He got that scar from when his parents 'accidentally,'" I put air quotes for more affect, "set his room on fire."

"Ugh..." he said, disgusted. "How is he feeling?"

"He's not doing so well. He's in a lot of pain."

"Why didn't you just come and get us?" my mom asked, wiping her tears away.

"I was afraid you'd be mad at me for bringing him in here without asking you. I mean, he's older than me, and you don't know him, so..."

"We're not mad at you. He really needs to be in the hospital though. Wait...how old is he?"

"He's..." I scratched my head, pretending to think. I decided the truth might be best for a change. "He's seventeen. He was held back in school though because sometimes his parents hit him so hard, he wouldn't go, other times his parents punished him for no reason and made him stay home, and sometimes his parents just didn't feel like driving him. He's in the...eighth grade, but he has a hard time doing well because of his parents." I scared myself with how good at lying I was. I almost never lie to anyone. Especially my parents or friends.

My mom took a deep breath to stop herself from crying again. "Okay, now we need to bring him to the hospital. Cleo, go and start the car. Nick, I need you to stay with me and tell me everything I need to know about him once we get there. Do you need help bringing him down the stairs?" my mom looked over to Zach.

"No, it's fine," Zach said. "It would be easier if he was awake and we could help him down the stairs."

"I'll wake him up," I offered. "Z – Ash? Ash, can you hear me?" I gently tapped his shoulder. He seemed to stir for a second, and then he blinked followed by a groan.

"Nick, is that you?" Oh, he's good.

"Yeah, it's me. We're going to take you to the hospital, okay? You'll need to get up, though."

"What's-" he caught himself. "Okay. I've never been to 'the hospital' before."

"It's okay. I'll be with you the whole time. I promise." I put my hand on his back and gently sat him up. He groaned with every movement. "It's alright. These are my parents. This is Zach, my dad. And this is my mom. That's my sister Cleo.

"Nice to – ugh..." he moaned again, "meet you." He finished with a gasp for air.

"Alright, up you go," Zach said, pulling him onto his feet. Zuko winced and gripped his stomach. "Wimp."

"Zach!" I yelled and slap his arm.

"What? He's a bit of a cry baby." I hit him again.

"This is _not_ the time for joking!" My mom was the one who yelled at him this time.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know...Here," he said holding out a hand. "I didn't know how bad it was."

"It's alright. I've lived through...Actually, this is the worst pain I've ever lived through." Zuko caught my gaze.

The ride to the hospital was long...and painful. I had to buckle Zuko in as if he couldn't move his shoulders too much, but obviously he didn't know how to use the darn thing. He was somewhat afraid of what it was at first, but he eventually liked the smooth ride.

"This _so_ beats riding on a ship for years."

We sat in the back with Cleo and parents were in the front. When we got there, and the nurses saw his condition, they put him on one of those wheelie beds immediately.

"What is this thing?!"

"It's alright. It's a type of bed that will help to move you around." But when the nurses started to push him, he wasn't too happy about it. As they walked and he held my hand, I felt it start to burn, white-hot. "Ash...please cool it down a notch."

"Oh! Sorry!"

"It's okay...It's okay." I smiled a small smile. He smiled back.

When we got to the ICU, the doctor told us he'd need stitches. I explained to Zuko what they were, and he said he'd be alright. When the doctor came back and told us to leave the room while he did it, Zuko looked to me with pleading eyes, like that of a dog going to the vet.

"Would it be alright if I stayed here? He's never gotten anything more than...Oh boy! I just realized something! Could I talk to him alone for a minute or two?"

"Certainly," the male doctor said politely. Everyone was out of the room but the two of us.

"Zuko, you've never gotten a vaccination before!"

"A what?"

"It's... a needle...that they put into your arm to prevent you from disease. In fact, you could be carrying something and not even know it! You don't even have any resistance to our diseases! This is _really_ bad!"

"Why?"

"Okay, I'll stay with you for the stitches, but after that...I'm leaving the room."

"What?! No! I don't know what they'll do to me! I thought you said you wouldn't leave me!"

The screams are gonna be torture... "Fine. I'll stay."

Three hours later, Zuko had his stitches, got his shots, I went _deaf_, and he was tested for any diseases. Ends up he's prone to sinus infections like my mom and I too, so that wasn't an issue. Thankfully, he doesn't carry anything, and he has a strong immune system for someone, and I'm quoting the doctor here, "that should be dead from being so exposed for so long." I stifled a laugh at that.

On the car ride home, Zuko was as happy as he could be. Well, at least for someone who just lost everything they knew and loved forever.

"So, Ash...you don't have anywhere to go?" my mom inquired.

"No. Nowhere," he said sulkily. I knew in my heart that there was a duel meaning. I understood both.

"Mom, we can't just put him in an orphanage or something! I'm the only family he's got!" And somehow, I felt the truth of my words tickle at my heart.

"I..." She looked to Zach. "If it's only until he can find a place to stay...?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" I exclaimed knowing that day wouldn't come.

"Then...We'll discuss it, tonight. Ash can sleep on the couch tonight. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes. Thank you very much, Mrs..." He paused, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"Conoscente," she happily replied, smiling.

"YES! Thank you!" I said, cheering. "This is going to be awesome!"

"There is one thing, though..." my mom said as we pulled into the driveway.

"What?" Zuko and I asked simultaneously, hoping nothing else could go wrong for us.

"You have school on Monday."


	5. Chapter Five: Fun

**This chapter is known for the boringness, trust me. But it sets up the main group, so just bare with me, please. I promise, the next chapter is where the real Nick and Zuko show their true colors... ;)**

**Chapter Five: Fun**

_*Nick*_

Well, I don't really think her answer could have been much worse than that. So, since it was a Saturday afternoon, and one teenager was to start his (literal) first day of school, you can guess what the outcome would be.

"This looks perfect!" I squealed, taking in Zuko's new look. I hate shopping, (I know, I know; I'm really weird), but shopping for a boy... priceless.

"Are you sure?" he asked, looking at the tight, black shirt he wore.

"You look awesome!"

"What about the pants, though?" he said, staring at the jeans.

"It looks great!"

"But the shoes are okay too, right? I mean, they're so comfortable!" Zuko meets Converse.

"Yes, they're fine! Now we just need... Oh, this has your name written all over it!"

The next day, we walked into Sun Bear Junior High together, decked out in our new clothes. I walked him into the main office and he got his schedule and his locker, which was next to mine. Once we left, we walked side by side to our lockers.

"So this is middle school, huh?" he said, looking at the kids. He was a head and a half taller than most of the first-years.

"Yup. And you're the oldest one here. Most kids in eighth grade are about thirteen to fourteen years old. Just remember your cover."

"Right." Which, his cover was that his name is Ash Kaen, my cousin who moved in with us after his parents were killed in a car crash. He was held back before he started school, so he's fifteen. He also lived in Tokyo most of his life, so American customs are hard to remember for him.

As we walked, I noticed how not one, not a lot, but _every_ kid we passed by in the hallway was looking our way, staring at Zuko. There were only a small amount of kids there already, being that we were there earlier than usual. The kids to our right giggled and whispered after seeing him. The ones to our left covered their mouths and occasionally pointed at him. I stared daggers at the popular kids I hated, who did just that.

When we got to our lockers, I put my things away and then helped him set up his locker. There was still about a half hour before the day would start, so I decided to debrief him some more.

"Okay, so let me tell you about Mei, first. Mei is one of my best friends, but she knows who you are. I'm going to explain everything to her, so if there's something wrong and you can't find me, you go straight to her."

"Okay. Is she nice?"

"Well, let me put it this way: all of my friends are 'nice,' but not necessarily_ normal _when compared to the average kid."

"Okay...then..."

"You'll see what I'm talking about. Mei is tall, with the long brown hair and blue eyes. She's stick skinny, perfect skin. You can't miss her."

"Her name is _Mei_?" he said slowly. I nodded.

"I know. As if this wasn't hard enough for you..."

"It's alright." He took a deep breath. "I'm cool."

I sighed. "Then we have Lily. She's a total sweetheart, but she doesn't know who you really are. She's one of my best friends, too. She's even shorter than me, frizzy brown hair, brown eyes."

"Okay. Cool," he said, straightening his black leather jacket that I bought for him.

"Then there's Cody. Cody is my other best friend. He knows who you are, but I need to tell him about you first. He has shaggy strawberry blonde hair, blue-green eyes. About my height."

"Alright," he replied, watching teachers walk around. I started to walk him around and as I talked, I pointed out some important places.

"The gym is here. Cody and I have known each other for ages. The rest of the gang we just met within the last year or two. Mike is one of Cody's best friends, but he's a really good friend of mine too. This is the lunch room."

He nodded.

"Mike is also going out with Lily. He has the long, shaggy brown hair, covering his ears, deep brown eyes, stocky." Zuko nodded again, watching everything around him. "Don't get scared, but I have a feeling Mei might...think you're cute."

"That could be...interesting," he said with a smirk. I raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm kidding, of course." He looked down. "I couldn't replace her if I tried."

I quickly changed the subject. "And one more thing," I said, taking out the black sunglasses I bought for him at the mall. I slid them onto his face. "You were in the accident that your parents died in and got burned on your face from it. The less kids that see the scar, the better. A select few kids besides Mei, Cody and I have seen the show, so you have to be careful, and make sure that you keep these on, and don't blow your cover."

"I think I can handle it." He smiled at me...a sad smile, but I smiled back. We knew that we couldn't be together in some classes, so we decided to stay together while we could. I arranged my mom to tell the school that I needed to be Ash's designated guide because he was really nervous. Most of them were higher level classes, but he had to take English, Science and History by himself.

A few minutes later, kids were starting to be let into the building, and Zuko and I stayed at our lockers. Mei's locker is on the other side of Zuko's, so naturally, she'd be the first to see him there, his back against his locker, with sunglasses and a black leather jacket, complete with red Converse, light denim jeans, and a tight, black shirt.

Queue the fan girl screams.

"Hey Mei!" I said, nervously. I had no idea how she'd react to him.

"Hey Nick, you'll never guess – uh..." she stuttered when she saw Zuko standing next to me.

"Oh! Mei, this is Ash. Ash Kaen. He's my cousin from Japan. He just moved in with me. He starts school here today. Ash, this is Mei."

"I - uh..." she kept stuttering, looking him up and down. She had on a lime green tank with denim shorts and flip flops.

"Hi, there," Zuko said, holding his hand out to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you." And then he did exactly what I had hoped he was going to do. He lowered his sunglasses, revealing his scar slightly, and Mei's eyes widen and she gasped. She just stared at him, unable to speak.

"Mei, can I explain everything else to you, now?" She nodded her head, but she didn't take her eyes off of him. I spoke in a whisper. "Is this who you think it is? Yes. Is he really my cousin? No. Is he really living with me? Yes."

"Nick...explain. NOW!" Whenever something weird happens with us...this tends to be the reaction I get from her.

"I found him. I don't know how or why, but somehow he ended up in my backyard." I continued explaining the story, leaving out the hospital and Azula, but I'd give her the details later. I did tell her his cover story, though.

"Whoa...I...I can't...believe it!" She turned to Zuko. He pulled his glasses down again. She reached her hand out slowly to touch the burn, and she gently brushed it with the tip of her finger. "It's so cold. Even after all these years...?"

"Pretty much," he said, shrugging.

"You sound like-"

"Yup. That was something I got to keep." I laughed.

"Who else knows about this?"

"Just you. Nick is going to explain it to Cody-"

"Of course," she said rolling her eyes.

"Why-"

"Nothing." Mei rolled her eyes at me.

"We're just going to tell everyone else the cover story," I continued. "The only people who know, and ever will know are you, me, and Cody."

"Good idea. What about classes and stuff? Doesn't he need to catch up?"

"Well, he knows enough math. Some classes he'll have with us, others he won't."

"That fits. I still don't believe it. Can you prove it?"

"Allow me," I pull back my sweatshirt's sleeve, revealing the burn that Zuko gave me. Mei gasped again. "This was my, 'Nice to meet you,' gift from Zuko."

"You sure are strong to be able to handle that. Were you crying?"

"Actually, she wasn't." Zuko explained. "I was pretty surprised myself. It has to be at least a second degree burn."

Mei shook her head at me. "So what about language?"

"He's taking lower level classes for it. He knows English, but he can only read and write in Chinese calligraphy, remember?"

"This is so weird..."

"And he's going to be taking sign language with me. That shouldn't be too hard to catch him up."

"That's true. I gotta get to Italian. See you second!" She took off to the classroom across the hall.

"And we're in here," I said, pointing to our room. He held the door open for me, and we walked inside. All heads turned to us, mainly Zuko, as we walked in. Zuko followed me to the back of the room.

"Mrs. Conner...?" I asked. She was busy fighting with the online attendance program.

"This new attendance program is so frustrating! Nicolette, do you think – Oh! Who is this?"

"This is Ash Kaen. He's my cousin from Japan. He has sign language first period with me. Where should he sit?"

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Conner," Zuko said, bowing. Nice touch to the emphasis on Japanese culture.

"Oh! Nice to meet you too! You can sit...you can sit next to Nicolette. I'll just have the other students move back a seat."

"Thank you very much." We turned to take a seat, but she stopped us.

"I know you're new here, but would you mind taking off the glasses? They aren't allowed on in the building."

"I have the nurse's permission to wear them." He started to walk away. He took his seat next to my desk. Mrs. Conner looked to me with a horrified expression.

"I had no idea! I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," I replied, turning away. I sat in my seat at the front of the room, next to Zuko. Behind me, Lily was there, talking to Zuko.

"Yes, I'm her cousin," he replied coolly.

"She never told me she had a cousin from Japan!" she said, glaring at me. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It must've slipped my mind," I said, shrugging. "Sorry."

She sighed and shook her head. She flipped her hair back in the overly dramatic way she always does.

"Okay, class. Today, we have a new student!" Mrs. Conner cheered to us, smiling. "Would you like to stand at the front of the room and introduce yourself?"

"Certainly. My name is Ash Kaen, and I am from Japan. Nicolette is my cousin." He paused, looking to me for guidance. I gestured to go on. "And I'm here to stay."

I knew that things would never be the same.

_*Zuko*_

"So how was History?" Nick asked me as we shut our lockers, walking to lunch with Lily and Mei.

"It was great! I didn't know History could be so interesting! The only history I know is about my family!"

We all laughed, but I knew Nick and Mei caught the double meaning. We arrived at the cafeteria, and everyone sat down at the table. Nick patted the bench to her left. I sat down between her and Mei. Mei begged me to explain the rest of the story, but then two boys slowly sat down across from Nick and Lily. They just stared at me for a minute.

"Okay...who's Sunglasses?" The boy with the dark hair and eyes asked Nick. The other one, with what Nick called, 'blonde' hair and 'blue-green' eyes just stared at me. He seemed to be torn between confused, curious, and cautious.

"Cody, Mike. This is Ash Kaen. He's my cousin from Japan. He's going to be going to school with us now."

"Nice to meet you." I held out a hand to Mike, and he shook my hand. Then, I held out my hand to Cody, but he just kept staring at me.

"It's nice to meet you, Cody," I said, smiling.

Then he finally smiled back. "Nice to meet you." We started opening our lunches, and I pulled out a square-shaped piece of food. I didn't see any chopsticks.

"Uh...Nick?" I whispered to her.

"What's wrong?"

"How do I eat this?"

"It's called, 'Peanut Butter and Jelly'. Watch me." She took her square in her hands and bit into it. "Now you try."

I looked at it for a second and then bit it. "Like this?" I asked, with my mouth full. Nick and Mei giggled.

"I got it," Mei said, using a white piece of cloth. She wiped my mouth off for me. I felt a twang of pain surge through me, and I looked away. I brushed the tear away from my eyes when no one was looking...

Except for Mei.

No, she doesn't look like Mai. No, she doesn't sound like Mai. And no, she doesn't even act like Mai. But the name Mei or Mai, was what pained me to look at her.

I just kept eating, listening to the conversations.

"Do you remember when he was standing there at the edge of the cliff? He was like, 'Hey, guys! Where's Cody?' And then all of a sudden you come flying in with the jeep and he turns and looks at you, and he's like, 'oh!' and then you land on top of him!" Both of the boys started laughing.

"Video games," Lily said, shaking her head, but cracking up. Cody wasn't laughing too hard. He just sat there, playing with his food. He hadn't spoken to me since we walked in. Nick leaned toward me and whispered to Mei and I.

"Hey, did you notice how Cody hasn't been acting like himself?" She looked at me. "I'm worried about him. He's almost always happy-go-lucky."

"Maybe he's jealous of Zuko!" Mei said, laughing.

"Why would he be...Mei!"

"Is there something I did wrong?" I asked.

"No! Not at all!" Mei exclaimed. She leaned close to me. "She just thinks Cody is upset because he's jealous of you."

"Why would he be jealous of me?"

"Because you get to spend all the time you want with precious Nicolette," Mei said, smirking.

"Shut up, Mei!" Nick said, looking over her shoulder at Cody. "I think I need to talk to him... Cody?"

The blonde haired boy looked up. "Yeah?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute? Please?"

He nodded and she tilted her head toward the door. They walked out, leaving Lily, Mike, Mei and I at the table.

"So, _Ash_," she said, giggling at the name, "You're living with Nick now, right?"

"Yeah," I said, not looking at her. "Her family is nice."

"Yeah, they are..." Her sentence lingered as she suddenly felt my mood come over her. She started to realize there was something wrong. Lily started to pick up a conversation with Mike, and I didn't dare look at Mei.

"Um...Hey," Mei said, tapping me gently on the shoulder, "is there something Nick didn't tell me yet that would explain...well...why my favorite character from a T.V. show won't talk to me?"

I finally looked her in the face. Her face was concerned as we looked at each other.

"Mai... Not you, but...well..." I stopped.

"Yeah, I know. What about her?"

"Azula..." I said, slowly and quietly. "She...broke into the palace... She... She _killed_...her." I turned my head away again.

"Zuko...I'm so sorry. Is that why...why you won't talk to me?" I nodded. "Do you need...a hug?" I looked up at her, and she looked back at me. Her face turned pink. "I didn't mean to...well...I just...I wanted to make you feel better...It's stupid, but I just thought"- I cut her off and hugged her, tightly. For a minute, she didn't respond and just sat there numbly. Then after a minute or so, she hugged me back. "I'm so sorry."

I just sat there, hugging some girl I just met. I didn't know her, who she was, or why she liked my 'show,' but as I embraced her tighter, I knew I needed this. I needed to heal. I needed to feel the pain.

I needed to feel again.

I gently let go, and Mei did the same. I realized she was crying. "I'm sorry...I just... I feel so bad for you."

I gently wiped my hand across her cheek taking the tear away. "Thank you."

She smiled at me, and I smiled back. Then, Cody and Nick walked back into the room.

"What did you say to him?!" Lily asked Nick immediately as she sat down. She explained that she had told the whole story about me to Cody and that was all. She also mentioned that she told him that she always thought Aang was the better of the two of us.

"You suck," I told her and folded my arms. Mei, Nick, Cody and I all started laughing.

The sound of my own laugh shocked me. I was so surprised that I could feel this good...this whole...so soon after what happened.

But I knew in my gut that something was wrong. This had to be short lived...

What happened to my world?

Where was Azula?


	6. Chapter Six: Believe

**In case you don't take sign language, most people don't know that the word order is different from English, and there aren't any articles. Also, when you ask a question, repeating the name of the subject person indicates that you're signaling the other person to talk. Sign language is always written in capital letters, and a lot of repeating is done for showing that you understand the person.**

**And another revamped chapter! Enjoy!**

**Chapter Six: Believe**

_*Nick*_

Mei, Nick, Cody, Mike, Lily and I all walked to tech together. Nick and Cody walked together, Lily and Mike walked together, and Mei and I picked up a conversation.

"You have?!" Mei exclaimed. She was fascinated by my stories I told her since lunch.

"Of course! If you were a master firebender, wouldn't you start your own academy?"

"I personally prefer waterbending, but that's just me," she replied with a smirk.

"Oh really?" I said, smiling. "Well maybe if I taught you some moves, you'd like it-"

"Wait a second! Huh? Firebending?!"

"Shh! Keep it down!" I said, covering her mouth. As if people weren't already staring at the "New Kid."

"Oh!" She lowered her voice. "Firebending?!" she said in a hushed yell.

"Not necessarily, but I can teach you some physical moves...if you'd like?" it came out as a question.

"Maybe I can finally take Nick in a fight," she said excitedly. She looked over to where Nick and Cody were talking and flinched. "On second thought...she's too tough for me. But I'd still love to learn a thing or two!"

"Sounds great!" I replied, smirking. "But what are you talking about with Nick?"

"Oh! She's strong... like, _really_ strong...emotionally _and_ physically. She's been through more than anyone I know, and she can kick anybody's ass anywhere, any time."

"I didn't know that..." I watched Nick laugh and blush, thinking about when I first met her.

She was able to dodge all of my attacks pretty easily. I wonder how a normal girl could have trained. Apparently people from Earth don't normally learn to fight. Her on the other hand...

She's different.

_*Nick*_

"So...this, 'homework'... we have to do_ all_ of this before school tomorrow?" Zuko asked me as we walked. We had already dropped off Mei, Lily, Mike and Cody at their houses, and we were almost home.

"Yup. It's not fun, but if you want to keep up the grades, you don't have much of a choice."

"Well...maybe we can do something else first. Do you want to learn some...fighting techniques?"

"Yeah! I'd love to! That would be so great! Thank-" But I couldn't finish my sentence because I suddenly felt muscular arms around my neck, gripping me in a choke hold.

I acted on the perfect combination of instinct and what I'd been taught to do. I turned my neck to the left to keep from having my oxygen supply cut off, and I kicked as hard as I could in the groin of the man holding me. He released, and he doubled back in pain. I immediately let instinct completely take over and I charged him with side-step punch to the throat and a tear at his eyes. He howled in pain, but I just kept fighting. Once he landed on the ground, I immediately tackled him and punched him in the throat again. When he lost his breath, I crushed his throat down into the cement as hard as I could, and he passed out.

I stopped, a dry heaved for a minute, tears welling in my eyes. I was so appalled by what I'd done that I couldn't breathe.

Then, I turned around and saw that Zuko had unleashed his firebending style, minus the fire. He swiftly swept the man's feet out from underneath him with his foot. Then man fell back onto the concrete face first and I immediately saw a tiny pool of blood forming on the sidewalk. I leapt over to where the man was and I landed on top of him as I did my attacker. This time, when I went to throw a punch, the man gripped my throat with his left hand and squeezed down, hard. I turned my head again, and as I was taught, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and twisted his arm all the way around. As Zuko jumped on top of the man, I heard a clean snap and the man howled in agony. Zuko and I kicked and punched him as hard as we could, and when he was finally too weak to fight back, I focused my energy again and cut off the blood circulation to his throat with my right hand. He passed out seconds later.

I just stared at the two people who ambushed us, and an odd sensation took over me. I wondered how I managed to do all of that.

Zuko held out a hand to me, and I took it willingly. He gently pulled me to my feet and I staggered a little. When I started to fall over, Zuko caught me in his arms, and I just stayed there for a moment longer. I looked up into his golden eyes and he looked back at me. We wordlessly communicated our mixed emotions of relief, disbelief, and amazement at each other.

After a few moments, I took out my cell phone and dialed the police station. Zuko kept one arm around me the whole time, looking out for anymore danger. He was like a hawk protecting its nest in a weird sort of way.

We sat down and just hugged each other. My body allowed a tear to fall down one side of my face, but I wasn't scared. I gripped him tighter. I wasn't worried about it happening again. I was just so relieved that it was me and not someone else.

"Are you alright?" Zuko whispered in my ear after what seemed to be years of silence.

I had to think about my answer for a moment. Then, I looked up at him and said, "Yeah. I am." He smiled at me, and then I saw that the wound on his torso had started bleeding again. I stood up. "We have to get back home." I wiped the tears off my face. "First off, I don't want questionings from the police about that," I said gesturing to the unconscious men behind us. "And second, you need help."

I held out my hand to him and he took it, but he groaned as he stood up. He clenched his eyes shut and started to fall toward me. I supported the majority of his weight, and we slowly but steadily, walked home.

_*Zuko*_

We had just got home and we were putting ice on our bruises. Nick wrapped up my stomach to stop some of the bleeding, and we sat in her room just thinking.

"We have to do something," I said after half an hour of silence.

"What are you talking about? Those guys were just thugs...I guess." She seemed to have a worried look in her eye as she spoke. "Just because this hasn't happened anywhere around here before-"

"Hold up. This hasn't happened around here before?"

"No. Never. Not as far as I can remember at least. It's always been really quiet around here. That is, until you showed up." She laughed, but I was trying to see if I could fit the pieces together.

"You're strong, I'll give you that. And you know how to fight too, but I saw how shocked you were when that happened. You can't give the enemy an advantage that you can help. Come on," I said taking her by the hand, "We've got some work to do."

"Okay...Ready?" Nick got into her fighting stance. She nodded.

I charged at her, and she charged toward me. As we came close, I went to throw a punch, but she lowered her body and took out my right leg. I fell on my face, but I quickly got onto my back, and used my hands to throw my body into the air. I came at her with a flying kick, and she sidestepped to the left. She shifted her weight and threw the force of her entire body into a single blow to my chest. I flew backward only a few feet, but the damage was enough to knock out the average 20-year-old guy.

"Alright. You ready for a weaponry fight?" She grabbed her baton and charged at me with it, as I came at her. This time, I went to jab at her stomach with my duel swords, but she jumped into the air so high that I thought she was flying. She landed on my shoulder blade and jumped off before I hit the ground. She landed solidly on her feet behind me and kicked me in the back. I fell forward and dropped my swords.

"I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" she yelled to me, rushing over to help.

"See if you can fight in a disadvantage!" I grabbed my swords and swung at her legs, but just as I knew she would, she jumped into the air and landed a kick to my shoulder. She shifted her body just in time so that there would only be minimal damage. I grabbed her leg with my right hand and I tried flinging her to the ground. But as I turned, she was already rolling back onto the floor behind me. She instantly jumped up into a fighting stance again.

"You're ready."

She smirked at me with a loud huff. Then she narrowed her eyes. "Zuko...can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why didn't you bend in that fight?"

I smiled. "I didn't want to burn them. It would look strange in a fight, don't you think?"

"True," she said, sincere.

I opened my hand to make a flame and smiled, my hand hot as always.

Nick was staring at my hand. Her jaw dropped.

I looked down at my hand, slowly angling my head down.

There was no flame.

_*Nick*_

After five hours of training, Zuko and I were supposed to be asleep, but we hadn't even started our homework yet. It was already one in the morning when we started, and we had a lab essay due, a math test, science quiz, and a sign language quiz all tomorrow. On top of all that, I had to catch him up in math, science and sign language to be ready for the tests, plus tutor him in everything that he's missed so that he knows all of the basics.

The whole time, I couldn't take my mind off of what happened at training. No flame. That meant no bending.

When he first realized what happened, he just stared at his hand as if it was foreign to him, like it wasn't his own. He punched, once, twice, three times and still, there was no fire.

He went into a kind of frenzy that I'd rather not describe. He just kept flailing and yelling, trying to somehow make fire. Finally, I grabbed him by the shoulder and he spun around, his eyes ablaze.

I shook my head at him as the tears welled in his eyes.

I gripped him in a tight hug, and for a long time, he just stood there, in my arms, stone cold.

Finally, his legs gave out, and he sobbed in my arms. All I could do was rub his back and tell him I was so sorry.

Eventually, we came inside, and the work was distracting him...thankfully. I didn't know what else to do for him other than distract him.

"Okay...BREAKFAST YOU EAT WHAT YOU?" I signed to him.

"BREAKFAST I EAT WHAT? PANCAKES WITH SYRUP/ ORANGE JUICE."

"Good! That's great! Okay, what's the sign for table?" He indicated the sign. "Great! Grapes?" Another correct sign. "And vanilla?" He made the shape of a V with his left hand and rubbed it on his right fist. "Perfect! You got everything you were having trouble with!"

"Awesome! So, to find the density of an object, you have to divide the mass by the volume, right?"

"Right! And what is the instrument used for calculating mass?"

"A digital scale," he replied confidently.

"Perfect! You know everything you were having trouble with! Here, let me give you three last equations... Okay, what is x equal to when six x is added to six which is equal to twelve?"

"First you subtract six from both sides to get twelve. Then divide both sides by six to get six."

I smiled to at him and to myself. "Welcome to Honors," I said with a high five.

"Are we done, then?"

"I think so," I said, looking at the clock. "Oh crap! It's four in the morning! We'll only get two hours of sleep!"

"Then we might as well not go to sleep." He shrugged and hopped into my desk chair. "Now tell me...what can we do when everyone else is asleep, and we're two bored teenagers?" I gave him a questioning look and he sighed. "Think about what _kind_ of teenagers we are."

At first, I didn't know what he meant, but then when I thought about it, something dawned on me. "I've got a better idea..."

_*Zuko*_

If you're wondering, my idea was to start practice up again for the next few hours. But I have to say, her idea was _way_ better.

For the first hour, we watched two episodes of my show, the episodes being, "The Boy in the Iceberg," and "The Avatar Returns." I never realized how funny that time was when I first invaded the Southern Water Tribe and Sokka had hit me over the head with his boomerang! We were hysterically laughing!

Then, we played an hour straight of "Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Burning Earth." She kept making my character look like he had the worst stats.

But I still can't get those guys off my mind...

Why would they go after her...?


	7. Chapter Seven: Tale

[For future references, this symbol [] means that I'm just leaving you a brief little note.]

"Hey, Mei! You're not going to believe what happened yesterday!" I said, running down the hallway to our lockers. Zuko had already walked to school.

"What happened?! I saw Zuko this morning, but he wouldn't tell me anything! He looked really nervous!"

"I can only tell you if you promise not to tell Cody! I don't want him worrying...."

"Promise! What happened?!"

"Well, we were walking home when..."

***

"Hey guys!" I said, cheerily walking into the gym.

"Hey Girlfriend!" Cody said in a girly tone, joking. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey Cody," I said, trying not to laugh too loud.

"Okay, guys! We're going to start with a game of Body Tag!"

"!" everyone yells.

"Umm... What's Body Tag?" Zuko asks me.

"It's pretty easy. Everyone gets a partner and lays on the gym floor, side-by-side. One group of partners is picked to be the tag-er and the tag-ee. They run around chasing each other, and when the tag-ee feels like a break, they lay down next to a group. The person on the other end has to get up and they become the tag-ee. Until the tag-er gets the tag-ee, the game continues. When that happens though, the round is over and we start a new round. Got it?" I ask.

"Got it."

"Okay, everyone! Find a partner!" The entire gym starts running around scrambling to find partners. Mike and Lily end up together, so only Zuko, Cody, Mei and I are left.

"You want to be partners, Nick?" Cody asks me with a weak smile. I beam.

"Sure."

"Hey, Ash... Umm... Do you wanna-?"

"I'd love to."

***

"Lily! I need to tell you what happened on our way home yesterday!"

"What is it? Are you okay?"

"We're fine, but... Wait a second. Since when do you sit over there, Ash?"

"Don't know. I like it over here though. Is that cool with you guys?" I look to Mei and Lily, and they both nod.

"Fine by us."

"You know what I just noticed?" Lily asks me. "I'm across from Mike, you're across from Cody, and Ash is across from Mei. Weird huh?"

"Lily!" I look over to Cody to make sure he hadn't heard. "Keep it down, will ya?"

"Well, fine. But you know it's so true."

"What's so true?" Mei asks us.

"Nothing," we say, simultaneously. We go back to eating our lunches.

"Oh, come on! What is it?"

"Really, Mei, it's nothing. No need to worry."

She gives me an unsure look before shrugging. "Whatever."

"So what happened yesterday?"

"Shhhh! Please, keep it down. I don't want Cody to know just yet. I'll tell him, but when the moment's right, okay?"

"Okay, fine. Well...?"

"Zu-I mean _Ash_ and I were walking home yesterday..."

***

"Hey, Nick. Are you alright? You seem a little edgier than usual today." Cody started questioning me during science that afternoon. He seemed really worried.

"Okay, look. I'll tell you, but not right now, okay? No one can know about this."

"Yeah, that's fine."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you yet, but I didn't want you to worry about me."

"No, it's fine. Really," he replied, smiling.

After the day was over, I explained the whole story to Mike and Cody as we were walking home together. Mike was a little surprised at the fact that I could actually put up a good fight, but Cody was mortified.

"WHAT?! How did this happen?! Why were they after you?! How come-"

"Shhh!" I put my hand over his mouth to shut him up. The kids walking home around us were starting to stare. "Please, don't draw any more attention to this than absolutely necessary."

"Right. Sorry."

"It's fine. But seriously, guys. We need to keep this on the down low, okay?"

"Yeah," they all said.

"I just don't get one thing," Mike started. "How the hell did you put up a fight against grown men?! I mean, sure you're strong and everything, but I never knew you could take down a couple of-"

"Quiet!" Zuko shrieked, putting his hand on Mike's mouth. He spoke in a whisper. "Nick, I think we're being watched. There are two guys behind us that have been following us since we walked out of school."

I glanced around my shoulder, and I saw two men dressed in dark clothing walking behind us. They didn't seem to be watching us, but I kept my guard up better. "I think he's right. They're wearing the same kind of outfits the guys from yesterday were wearing."

"Oh come on!" Mike said. "Are you kidding me? It's just a coincidence. There's no way that the guys are linked."

"Well, you never know. There have never been any attacks in town before the other day, so it's a possibility."

"I think they're right," Lily chimed in. "They don't look like normal guys. I've never seen them around here before."

"Neither have I," Mei said. "And I know-"

"Everyone in town," we all finished for her. She grunted and folded her arms.

"Mei, since your place is the closest, would it be alright if we just hung out there for a little while so that we can lose the tails?" Zuko asked.

"Yeah, sure. You guys come too," she said gesturing to Mike, Cody, and Lily.


	8. Chapter Eight: Bond

"Are they still out there?" I asked Nick.

"I think they're gone, but just to be safe, I think we should stay for awhile longer. Maybe an hour or so. Is that alright with you, Mei?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Hey! I got an idea! You guys wanna go in my bro's room and play Super Smash Bros. Brawl?" [I do not own this game, all rights go to Nintendo...which by the way, is absolutely awesome!]

"Sure!"

"I...I've never-"

"I'll teach you," Mei said, smiling.

I smiled back.

***

"Okay. First, watch Mike, Cody, Nick and I do it. Then I'll teach you the moves, and then you can play with us. Don't worry, we'll go easy."

"Whatever you say," I said, shrugging.

With that, they all started. Mei chose Kirby, Mike chose Bowser, Cody chose Mario, and Nick chose Pikachu. Within a few seconds of the battle, Mei was beat by Nick. Then, Nick beat Mike, and Cody beat Nick.

"Aww, no fair! You used the Smash Ball Cheat!" Nick said.

"All is fair in love and war," Cody replied with a smirk.

"Nice comeback," Mei said, elbowing Lily. She laughed, and when I caught her eye, she turned away, covering her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"Are you gonna teach him to play or what? Come on! I wanna kick his ass!" Mike said.

"Bring it! Now how do I maneuver this thing?" I said, swinging the remote around.

"Woah, there!" Mei said. She grabbed my wrist and we both blushed. "You can hurt someone with that."

"Oh, right! Sorry! Are...you...okay?" I stuttered.

"Yeah, I'm fine!"

"Good." I wiped my forehead.

"Stop worrying," Mei said. The tone in her voice reminded me...

_~Flashback~_

"_Aren't you cold?" Mai said, walking toward me. The moon was full as I stared at it. It was a cold night on the water, but I ignored it._

"_I got a lot on my mind. It's been so long. Over three years since I was home. I wonder what's changed. I wonder how I've changed."_

_Mai sighs. "I just asked if you were cold .I didn't ask for your whole life story." She smiles and wraps her arms around me. "Stop worrying."_

_Mai pulls me closer to her and kisses me. After a minute, she walks away and I continue to think...._

_~End Flashback~_

"I have to go," I say.

"Zu-Ash! Wait!" I ran downstairs and out the front door. I was halfway down the block when something other than everyone's screams stopped me.

The guys were back.

And they had friends.

"Zu-Ash! Ash! Wait! I-...umm...please tell me I'm seeing things."

"I've got news for you: this is reality." She seemed shocked, and I put my hand up in front of her. "Stay back." I stepped forward toward them. "What do you want?" I said in my Firelord voice.

"You...and her," said the taller one in the center. There were five guys. But the number isn't what scared me. They pointed to Nick as she ran toward us. The men were_ huge_. I'm talking _Combustion Man huge. _And again...pointing at Nick! The rest of the group finally caught up. Everyone was standing around us, with me standing in front of Mei. Nick stood right next to me.

"Why do you want us?" Her voice strongly resembled that of Katara's. I was a little thrown off for a second, but I shook it off quickly.

I took notice that all of the men had some sort of weird tattoo. Whether on their heads, arms, or hands, they all had the same marking. All of them were wearing black jeans and tight, black, short sleeve shirts.

"That doesn't concern you. We just need you to come with us. You can either do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"I choose neither!" I said. "Get lost!"

"Okay. Don't say we didn't warn you." He was about to make a gesture, when Nick called out.

"Wait!" She stopped and all eyes were on her. She stepped to her right and looked to everyone. "They go free. Only us."

"How very noble of you. But...they're guilty by association. Get em!"

"Get back!" Nick and I screamed to our frieends as the guys rushed toward us. At first, no one moved. But once the shock was dropped, they prepared themselves.

Lily was wide-eyed. Mike jumped in front of her, and got into a ninjitsu styled stance. Nick and I got into the fighting form I showed her, and Cody got into position as well. Mei just stared at the men blankly.

The first guy rushed at me with fists flailing. I ducked my head to the right as the first punch came at me, then a second, I ducked again, then a third, and I dropped to the ground and swiped his feet out from under him. He landed with a thud, and before he could get back up, I kicked him in the chest and poured punches into his throat. After a few seconds, he went out.

I was mortified when I realized that Mei was no longer behind me.

I was even more scared of what I saw and heard.

I made a break for it.

*Nick*

The tallest one came at me, arms out, trying to grab me. I spun to the left and landed the kick hard in his stomach. He backed up a foot or two and I took the chance to punch him in the nose and to land a front kick into his groin.

Surprisingly, he got up quickly and came at me again. This time, he went to kick me in the stomach. When I tried to dodge, I bent down when I should have jumped. The end result was a nasty blow to the head and me falling over. When I was on the ground, I got lucky because his stupidity led him to jump on top of me instead of crushing me by standing on me.

I did exactly what I was taught since I was little. Don't panic, improvise. I wrapped my legs around his waist and threw my weight to one side. He flipped over and now I was on the top. I pummeled him with punches until his face was covered in blood, and then I scratched his eyes. In a panic, he flailed his arms around long enough for me to crush his throat.

I stood up and sprinted to where Cody was, praying for his health.

*Lily*

I stood frozen as the huge man came running at me. I didn't know what to do or how to respond. I just stood there, scared to death. Then, out of nowhere, Mike tackled him from behind.

I watched in horror as they began to wrestle each other on the ground. Then, they both got up, and an all out fight ensued. He kicked the man's knee and his leg buckled backward. I was positive it was broken. His leg was now bent at an odd angle that made my head spin slightly. But I had to keep watching.

Mike kicked at the man's head and landed one in his face. The man tried to fight back with blind punches, but Mike continued hitting him, and finally, he crushed his throat with his foot, and a few seconds later, he passed out.

Mike got up slowly...panting. He stood up staring at the unconscious man for a minute, and then he looked at me. Our eyes locked, and we just continued to stare at each for a long time....

*Nick*

I saw Cody dodging repeatedly. A punch, a dodge. A punch, a dodge. A punch, a dodge.... I ran faster than I'd ever had in my life. As I ran, I felt the blood start to pour into my eyes. I wiped it away quickly, and just as I saw that Cody had fallen over, I kicked the man hard in the back with a spinning kick. I heard a loud, clear snap and he fell over. Cody looked up at me, and I held out a hand to him. He got up, and so did our attacker.

Cody and I ran at him and he braced himself. I knew what I had to do; I did it happily. I knew that he would know which of us to go for first, so I figured he'd attempt to get whoever comes closer to him first. So, I sprinted ahead of Cody and he landed a punch to my head as Cody kicked him in the stomach.

Cody dodged another punch and kick as I got up, wearily. When I gained balance, I started toward the man, but I felt slightly dizzy. I held my head for a second and regained my vision. I saw that Cody continued to dodge him, but I knew you can only stay that fast for so long. That thought was all I needed for the rush to start again... the adrenaline.

I sprinted at the man and I jumped as high as I could into the air. I let out a yell and landed a flying kick to his head. He stumbled backward and fell over. Then, he passed out.

For a few moments, I just stared at the man in disgust. I wanted to hurt him further. I wanted to make him suffer. If anything were to happen to-

But I stopped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw Cody there, a small smile on his face. But when he saw me, it quickly faded to worry. He grimaced at the blood all over my face.

"You took a nasty blow to the head, huh? You okay?" he asked. He gently brushed some of the blood out of my eyes.

"Yeah.... You?"

"I'm good...." He looked around for a second. "Oh no! Mei!" I sprinted after him as we ran to where she was.

From what I could see...

One of my best friends was in mortal danger....

It wasn't going to end well.

*Mei*

I watched as Zuko took down the man that was coming for me first. I felt relieved, worried, and embarrassed all in one. Then I saw him coming.

Another man was headed toward me. I was petrified. I could hit, but I've never had a day of training in my life. I didn't know what to expect, and I didn't know how to fight. I just held up my fists and braced myself.

But this guy wasn't looking for a fight.

He held up a knife in his hand that I hadn't seen before and started running toward me. I stopped dead.

He lunged at me, knife raised. I jumped out of the way and managed to do a tuck and roll. I was amazed I did that on the first try, being as how horrible I am at gymnastics.

My excitement didn't last very long though because he was soon coming at me again, and I found myself at a stand-still. He lunged at me again, so this time I ducked down between his legs and tried rolling forward again. It all happened slowly, yet everything seemed to be moving in a blur.

To my horror, when I regained my footing, he was diving at me again and he tackled me to the ground. I cried out in pain when I heard my head hit the pavement. I immediately felt a wet and sticky sensation on the back of my head. I cried out again from the pain. I looked up, and over me, I saw him holding up the knife. At this, I nearly threw up. This time, I screamed out for Zuko.

"ZUKO! _ZUKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

"_MEI!" _Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him running toward me, screaming.

And just as Zuko leaped toward us in one final attempt to save me, the man plunged the knife down.

The blood curdling scream of agony I let out next must have shattered some windows because I hurt my own ears. I continued to scream and scream in agony. I could barely keep my eyes open to watch what was happening.

After the man used the knife, Zuko tackled him from the side and grabbed the arm with the knife. The man was extremely strong, but so was Zuko. They fought back and forth with the knife, until Zuko finally pulled back on it instead of pushing it forward and got it out of his hand. He plunged the knife straight into his stomach.

After that, I saw the others start to rush over. Then, my vision started to blur.

"Mei? Mei! Can you hear me?" Nick was at my side, keeping a steady tone in her voice. As much as I wanted to respond, I couldn't.

"MMMMEEEEIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Lily screams in horror.

"Nick, she's getting pale!" Cody's voice was there too.

"I know, I know! Mei, can you hear me?" I would have responded if I could.

"Mei...?" This time, it was Zuko's voice. Again, I couldn't find the strength to respond.

"Mei, please... Don't leave me. I need you, Mei." I felt him pick up my hand and hold it gently on his scar. I knew it was his scar because his scar has a cold sensation unlike anything else I've ever felt in my life. Then, I felt wetness on my hand.

A tear.

"I need you."

***


	9. Chapter Nine: Revelation

*Zuko

"And that's how I met Zuko and why he's here," Nick finished.

"I knew I recognized him from somewhere!" Lily said. "I saw an episode of the show once!"

"Yeah, sure you knew," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I did!"

"Suuuuuure..."

"Hmph!" she said, jokingly.

We're all sitting at Mei's house, waiting for her to wake up. We're in her room sitting or pacing around...Okay, so I was the only one pacing. Sue me.

"Zuko, she's gonna be okay," Nick said, trying to reassure me.

"I'm so stupid! If I had just gotten there sooner..." I looked over at the bed where Mei lays, unconscious. I walk over to her and take off my sunglasses. I hear a gasp from Lily, but I don't care. I toss them onto the dresser behind me and stare at Mei.

"This is all my fault.... I'm so sorry." I looked down at the floor in disgust with myself. "I should've gotten there sooner. I shouldn't have left the house in the first place! I shouldn't have even come here in the first place! I'm so stupid! If we just would've gone home...." I started to pull on my hair, hating myself more, (if that's even possible). I slammed down my fists on the dresser and put my head down. "I _hate_ myself!" I clenched my fists so tight that I felt the blood cut off from my hands. I don't care. I deserve any pain I get.

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Zuko, please..." It was Nick again. She's so caring about me and her friends. But she doesn't understand what I'm going through.

"You don't get it! If something happens to her, it's my fault!"

"I do get it, Zuko. If I had told my dad not to go...he'd still be here. I understand how you feel. Regret...hatred...pain...suffering...depression.... I've gone through it all. I hate myself too."

I looked up at her, and she looked back at me with sorrow in her eyes. I felt her pain just from the way she looked at me. And I knew she feels how I do.

"I don't hate you!" It wasn't until that moment that I was fully aware of who was in the room, watching the whole thing. It was so quiet that I forgot Lily, Mike and Cody were still in the room. Lily was sitting on the floor toward the end of Mei's bed. Mike was standing in the corner, leaning up against the closet opposite her. Cody was standing against the wall by Mei's bed. He was the one who'd spoken. Everyone was staring at him, now.

"I....I care about you, Nick." All of us were wide-eyed and no one said a word. Nick just looked at him, confused.

"You.... You what?" She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. None of us could.

"Well...you're my best friend, sorry Mike," he said. Mike just shrugged and looked out the window like nothing had happened. I took the hint and looked back at Mei.

*Nick

"Oh...right," I said, disappointed. As I was turning to hide my expression, but he quickly cut in again.

"No, no, no! I mean, yeah, we're great friends...." He trailed off.

"Yeah...I know that," I said, looking away from him. "After all...you were the one who found me, you know."

"Yeah, I know." I went through a dark time in my life about two years ago. I had no friends, I hated myself.... I felt like I had no reason anymore. The year before that, I thought I had great friends...but then they turned on me. They started to torment me, and by the time the next year started, I had no one.

But then...someone I never expected to come along...did...just last year. I'd known him since we were little, but for some reason, we'd never become really close. There wasn't a reason...we just weren't close friends. But then this kid...just some kid who'd been there the whole time reached his hand out to me. I'd never had someone who wanted to be my friend first. He was the first person to do that. That day...he changed my life forever. He became my first real friend. And from there, we started to hang out with the others too. That's how our little group formed. If I didn't have Cody, I probably wouldn't be here right now. I don't know what I would've done if he hadn't reached his out to me that day. I will never forget that.

Now, here I am. Here he is...one year later.

In the last year, he'd changed, but only to those who know him well. His jaw seemed to have broadened slightly, and his hair was now down to his neck, rather than in spikes in the front. His shoulders also broadened, and he'd grown to be close to my height. Of course, the freckled face I've come to call my best friend, was staring at me the way he always has. But...I never understood why. Or maybe....

I didn't want to admit it.

Or more likely....

I was afraid to be the one to get hurt.

Of course....

He'd never understand how important he is to me...my health...my sanity.

But I could never find a way to thank him.

I stared into his blue-green eyes and he locked into my blue eyes. I couldn't look away. Just from looking into his eyes, I finally understood everything. The looks he'd give me, the way he smiled at me, why he'd laugh at my lame jokes.... I guess I'd always known it... I was just afraid to be let down.

"Nick...?" I was jerked out of my thoughts by his voice. He was still staring at me.

"Yeah, Cody?" I used his name to get my point across. He paused for a second and looked out the window next to us. I looked outside too, on alert for those guys.... Then, Cody sighed and looked me dead in the face.

"Do you want to go out with me?"

Tears came to my eyes.

"I thought you'd never ask!" I threw myself at him, hugging him as tight as I could without hurting him. I felt him tense up at the shock of it, then he breathed a sigh of relief and hugged me back, tightly.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said, breathing heavily.

"Good...because it is," I said, smiling. I hugged him tighter. I didn't want this to end.

"Hey...what's...?" he asked. I gently pulled away from him and he looked at me, then his hand. It was covered in blood. "What happened?!"

"I guess when I took that blow to my head to stop him from hitting you, I-"

"You did that for me,_ knowing_ you'd be seriously hurt?!"

"Well....Yeah," I replied with a shrug. "Sorry about my blood."

His eyes widened at me, asking, _Are you crazy?_

"Yes, I am," I replied to his expression. He laughed the laugh I'd come to find comfort in, and then took my hand in his...the clean one.

"Come on. Let me at least clean you up."

"Uh...okay..." He took me into the bathroom across the hall and pulled out the first aid kit. He took out some bandages and some sanitary wipes.

"Umm...Can you hold up your hair?"

"Oh! Right!" I pulled my hair up and held it in my shaking hands. I'm still shocked from what just happened. I haven't been this happy in years...or nervous.

Apparently, he was too because as he wiped the blood away, I felt his hand shaking.

"Does that hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Are you okay? I saw you fall over once."

"Nah, I'm fine," he said, cheerily.

"Thank God!"

"Yeah.... I mean, I'm glad you're okay too."

I'll admit it. I blushed.

"Thanks."

"Hey, guys!" It was Lily's voice coming from Mei's room. I immediately jumped up, with Cody following me.

"She's waking up," she said as we walked into the room.

*Mike

"Thank you." I looked and saw Lily looking up at me with a smile. "You...you saved me."

"I...uh...umm...you're...welcome," I stuttered. She's actually talking to me....Holy crap! She's talking to me! What do I do?!

She just sat there, smiling at me. So...I smiled back. I blushed.

Then...she blushed.

I couldn't believe it.

She might actually like me back.

After all this time of going out...almost a full year now... Boy, we made progress! In one year...this is the height of our conversations. God, I'm shy! Maybe Nick was right. She said we're both just too shy for our own good.

You know what?

She likes me.

We've been going out almost a year.

It's time we made some _real_ progress.

"I hope Mei's okay," I started. I was shocked I said it myself.

"Yeah, me too," she said. "Wow, Mike! You actually care whether she dies or not!" She giggled her sweet, little giggle. Man, I love that laugh. I laughed with her. Then Zuko sighed. "Oh! I'm sorry...uh...Zu...uh...Zukoo...?"

"It's Zuko. Not Zukoo. Zuko."

"Right. Sorry."

"Hey," I said, stepping in. "Your girlfriend's gonna be fine. So lay off Lily, okay?" Thank God! I finally found a use for my protective side.

"I guess you're right. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, dude."

"Hey, guys!" Nick and Cody came running back into the room. Lily was next to Zuko, looking at Mei.

She was finally waking up.

Thank God her parents were out.

*Mei

I don't know where I am. All I feel is darkness and it's so hard to breathe. My thoughts can't stay focused and I feel like I'm swimming through the darkness. My sense of direction is off, so I just keep moving forward.

After hours of swimming, I finally see a light. I move toward the light, and I suddenly feel the sensation of falling. I try to scream, but no sound comes out. I finally hit the ground, and I see...wow.

I'm in the palace...in the Fire Nation...but it's being destroyed.

This is what Zuko had told me about.

***

Now, I was watching as Zuko jumped into the ocean and began to swim. I tried to call his name, but I couldn't find my voice. I tried to run after him, but my feet wouldn't move.

I began to cry for him, watching him go.

Then, he disappeared under the water.

Finally, I wasn't being held back.

I jumped into the water after him. I swan as fast as I could, no matter how far away he was. When I got to the spot where he disappeared, I dove.

I spotted him at least ten feet below the surface. I just kept diving and diving, trying to get to him. When I finally got to him, I grabbed his arm and started to pull him up.

Then, I lost my breath.

I was dying...and he surely was, too. I grabbed onto him and hugged him, knowing this was the end.

I'd always thought I'd die alone. I'd never had a boyfriend, no one's ever liked me.... I always felt alone.

But now that I was dying...here and with Zuko...I was satisfied.

I won't die alone.

He won't die alone...

Because we're together.

***

I began to feel a stabbing pain in my chest, and I saw blackness behind my eyelids. At first, I didn't move, but then I flickered my eyelids. I moaned and started to slowly open my eyes.

"Uh..." I groaned.

"Mei...?" It was Zuko's voice. He felt and sounded close, but I couldn't be sure. I focused my vision and then I saw him sitting next to me. He was looking at me with a worried look in his eyes.

"Zuko...."

"It's okay, I'm here."

"You...you...." I said, trying to focus on remembering. "You saved my life!" I said. I tried to see up, but I stopped immediately. I cried out in pain and hit the bed with a thump.

"Mei! You have to be careful!" Nick's voice said. I looked next to Zuko and saw Nick looking at me. Her face and hair were stained with blood. Then, I looked around for minute. Zuko had a bruise on his cheek...the right side, Lily was perfect, as usual, Mike had a cut on his forehead with some dried up blood, and Cody had a black and blue on his chin.

"Are we...dead?" I asked. Because honestly, I didn't know. Everyone laughed, but I didn't because everything hurt. "Scratch that. If I were dead, I wouldn't be in pain."

"Unless you went to hell," Mike interrupted. Everyone laughed, and I stared daggers at him.

"Ha ha. Very funny."

"Ooooh.... Anyone else feel a draft in here?" Cody added.

"You guys suck." Everyone laughed again. Then, I noticed that Zuko hadn't left my side once. Then I realized that his arm was around me, and my head was resting on his arm. I was in too much pain to even think of blushing. "Zuko..." My voice sounded weaker than ever. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course."

"When you nearly drowned...what do you remember?"

"Well...not much." I sighed. I thought that maybe my dream was connected to what really happened somehow. "Actually..." he began, "I remember now! I saw...you guys..." Everyone looked shocked. Obviously Nick had told Mike and Lily everything now. "But mainly...you and Nick."

"Well, the guys did say they wanted you and Nick, right?" Lily pointed out.

"Yeah...they did," Nick said, in deep thought.

"Does anyone know what that tattoo was?" I asked.

"No...I don't think so...." Zuko said.

"Neither do I," Cody said.

"Wait! I've seen that image somewhere before!" Nick said, excitedly. "Did it look like...almost a gothic looking..._flower_ to you?"

Everyone looked at each other and all of us said, "A flower!"

"But what kind of flower?" Lily asked.

"A lily?" Mike asked. Lily blushed.

"Wow, Mike. Just...just wow." Everyone laughed at me again.

"I know that flower.... Hey, can I use your laptop?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, sure." As she always does, she got into her usual Whiz Kid Mode. She punched away at the keys until, finally, she pulled up a website with every flower known to man. There was a picture of each one, with its name and classification next to it.

"How are we going to find it in all of these flowers?!" Mike asked.

"Because..." Nick began, "I'm looking...for...one...specific...lotus!"

"Lotus?" we all asked.

"A lotus," Zuko said, "is a type of flower from both my world and yours. It's almost like a lily, but it has spikes, almost. There is an alliance in my world, called The Order of the White Lotus. It's a group of really old guys, typically. When we set up a rebellion, I was inducted into the society. The only type of lotus I've ever seen is white...not _black_."

"Then maybe we're looking in the wrong place..." Nick typed something into the computer and finally found something. "_A black lotus is a flower, known to be only in mythology and is considered to have magical properties. In most American media, the black lotus is used for healing in many fantasy games. However, in Asian culture, the black lotus is known for its powers of darkness and destruction._ Oh...God...."

"Okay...well, _obviously_ they're bad guys!" Mike said.

"Yeah..." Zuko started, "but isn't it weird how the organization in my world is the Order of the_ White_ Lotus?"

"Yeah," said Nick, getting into it even more (if possible), "and what about how they knew who Zuko was?"

"It all fits! Somehow, they want you for something! They know who you are!" I said.

"Yeah..." Cody started. Everyone turned to Cody and he looked at all of us, but lingered on Nick for a second. "But...if they want Zuko...then why would they want Nick? I mean, how does she relate to him?"

No one said a word.

"Oh, Mei!" Lily said. "Cody asked out Nick! She said yes!"

"And Mike's finally making some progress!" Cody said.

"This is one _hell_ of a week..."

"Welcome to my world," Zuko and Nick said, rolling their eyes together.

_Here we go...._


	10. Chapter Ten: Tie

Later that night, Zuko and I were in the kitchen, and Cleo and I were teaching him how to play a card game..._War._

"Ha! An ace!" Cleo shouted. "I get all of your cards, _Ash!"_ She sneered his name with a grin. I stared at her, and she took the hint.

"_We interrupt this program to inform you of breaking news..."_ The T.V. in the living room behind us had just changed to the news, and Zach paused the T.V. and called my mom in. We all stood in the living room together, wondering what had happened that was so important.

"_At 5:40 this evening, a middle school student from Sun Bear Junior High, Kaitlin McKenna, went missing." _A picture of her then appeared on the screen. _ "Authorities say she was last seen walking home from school. She has blue eyes and blonde hair and stands at five feet, six inches. If you have seen her or hear anything from her, contact the police immediately. Thank you, and we hope to find her soon."_

I stared at the T.V. blankly, wondering how she could've disappeared. I looked to Zuko, and when he looked back at me, I remembered, _Oh yeah. We have bounty hunters on our tail from God knows where._

"Do you guys know anything?" Zach asked us.

"No! We had no idea!" I told him. "I swear!"

"Relax! I believe you. But if you find out anything else, let us know."

"Okay," Zuko and I said. He looked at me and nodded toward the stairs.

I yawned. "I'm tired. See you guys in the morning. Come on Ash, you should get to bed too."

He sighed. "Okay...fine..." He slumped up the stairs behind me, but once we were in my room, he started pacing.

"This doesn't make any sense!" He shouted. I told him to keep it down and he continued in a loud whisper. "Why would they go after kids that we _hate_?"

"Yes, it does make sense. Kaitlin was at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's not because we hate her. It's because she knows us and information about us. They're trying to find a weakness!"

"That makes sense! But why would there be a band of people like this in your world? I thought you told me that my world is just part of some kids' show?"

"It is! That's what I don't understand!" I started pacing around the room to come up with a better solution. "Okay, go get ready for bed, first. When you're done, wait by my door."

Zuko went into his room next to mine and got into a pair of pajamas for the night. I changed into one of my dad's old T-shirts that he cut the sleeves off of and some sweatpants. We continued to get ready, passing each other in the hallway silently asking each other the same question, over and over again.

_How are they here?_

When we were finished, he met me in my room, and I pulled out my laptop.

"Okay...so where do we start?" I asked him.

"Well first, can you explain what that is?" He pointed to my shoulder which was now revealed from the sleeves being cut off.

"What?"

"That!" He pointed to my shoulder again. I looked at it for a second, and then it hit me. "Oh! You mean this?" I pointed to a beauty mark on my arm. It was a lot bigger than any other one I had.

"Yes!"

"Oh, that's just a beauty mark. It does _not_ show that the person is pretty, but girls and sometimes guys from my world get these marks all over their bodies. They're always born with them, but for some reason, this one seems to grow, almost. It just keeps getting bigger."

He held my arm in his hand, getting a better look at the mark. He slammed his hand against his forehead. "How come I didn't see this before?!"

"Because all I ever wear are tank tops with a T-shirt, or more so, a long sleeved black sweater over it."

"Do you know what this is?"

"Well...I thought it looked like a bunch of grapes or a daisy...."

"Look harder!"

"I don't know! What?!"

"I know where we can start now." He dropped my arm and rushed over to the computer. I pulled up the internet and immediately went to a search engine. He typed in, "White Lotus." I looked at him with a funny look, but he said to click search, so I did.

As soon as I clicked it, I understood what he was talking about. Millions of pictures of white lotuses started popping up, and they all looked like the mark on my right shoulder. I turned and faced him.

"So...you think I'm some kind of honorary member or something?"

"No...I think that your world has something similar though. Is there a way to look?"

"I've got a better idea." I went to my school's website and typed in my World History teacher's name from sixth grade. Her email address popped up and I sent her an email.

"Why would you ask someone?! Are you nuts?!"

"Yes...yes I am," I replied, smiling. "She's the only person who could possibly know anything about this. If I looked it up on the computer, only Avatar stuff will come up. She should get back to us soon..."

He looked at me with a worried look on his face, and then my phone rang. [I don't own this song, but it's by Red and it fits this story_ so_ perfectly, and it's _really_ good! It's called, "Breathe Into Me."]

_And this is how it looks when...I am standing on the edge._

_And this is how I break apart...when I, finally hit the ground!_

_And this is how it hurts when I... pretend I don't feel any pain!_

_And this is how I disappear...when I throw MYSELF AWAY!_

_Breathe your life into me!_

_I can't feel you!_

_I'm falling...._

_Falling, faster!_

_Breathe your life into me!_

_I still need you,_

_I'm falling..._

_Falling, breathe into me!_

"Talk to me."

"Hey, Nick! It's Mei!"

"Oh, hey Mei! Wow, you actually called, and didn't text!"

"My phone was taken away for not telling my mom how I got this huge gash...and refusing to go to the hospital."

"Compared to your usual punishment, you got off easy!"

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, there's gonna be a party tomorrow night at the school gym. Yes, it's a school dance, but I really want you guys and the others to go! ?"

"Alright, fine," I reply with a sigh. "Zuko, we're going to a school dance."

"Uh...okay."

"Zuko's there! Oh my God! He's coming!"

"Mei..."

"What do I wear?! What about my hair?!"

"Mei..."

"I have to get a new skirt! Oh my God, what if he asked me to dance?!"

"Mei!"

"Huh?"

"You're on speaker phone."

"...Oh crap."

"Hi, Mei. Don't worry, you'll be fine," Zuko said. "That is..._until I ask you to dance_."

I actually heard her fall to the floor through the phone.

"Way to go, Lover Boy! Now we won't even know when the dance is!"

"Mei!" he screamed into the phone.

"What...?"

"When is it?"

"Oh, I-um...uh..."

"Mei!" we shouted together.

"It's from eight to midnight!" she said in a rush.

"Okay. Meet me at my place at seven. I have something to tell you. See you tomorrow." I hung up the phone, hoping that maybe she'd calm down. I called the others and all of them said they could come too.

I just hope we can figure this out before anything gets worse....

***

The next day, Zuko and I had gone shopping for his outfit. It was now six o'clock and we were getting ready.

"I think you should wear that one," Zuko said, eyeing a dress in my closet.

"What?! I can't wear that! I mean... it wouldn't look good on me."

"Sure it would! Why wouldn't it?"

"Maybe because I'm not exact what you'd call 'pretty,'" I mumbled to myself.

"Of course you'd look pretty! You really are."

"No...I'm really _not_."

"Then why would Cody ask you out?"

"You think I have any idea what's going through that diluted boy's brain? I have no _idea_ why he asked me out! He's crazy!"

"He's really not." He walked me over to the mirror in my closet. "He just doesn't know_ how_ lucky."

For the first time in awhile, I looked at myself in the mirror, hard. The only thing I liked was my hair and eyes because I looked like my dad. My face looked like him, too, so I wondered if maybe there was something I couldn't see.

"What are you talking about?"

"Look. You have a very pretty smile. You have a_ very_ nice figure," he stated with a smirk. I turned around and slapped him across the face. He winced and looked at me, red-faced. "You pack a punch, too."

"Thank you."

"But really. You have nice eyes, nice hair, a pretty face, a thin body..."

"Then why hasn't he said so?"

"Trust me. That is the last thing a kid his age would do. They're afraid of looking stupid or dorky in from of their friends for complimenting a girl."

"Yeah, okay. Like you actually mean any of this junk. You just want to make me feel better."

I stormed into my closet and got dressed.

***

An hour later, the doorbell rang. Nick was still getting ready, so I answered it. Cody and Mike were standing there, so I let them in with a smile.

"Hey guys."

"Hey, Zuko!"

"Shhhhhhhh! Nick's parents don't know who I am! I'm still Ash to them!"

"Sorry."

"Ugh..."

I walked them into the living room and they sat down on the couches.

First was Mike. He was wearing his usual, plain T-shirt with jeans.

Second was Cody. He was wearing a black collared shirt with plaid shorts that went just past the knee. He was wearing his navy blue high tops.

I was wearing a black shirt and a black jacket over it with black pants and my black Converse. Nick showed me how to tie and tie.

A few seconds later, the doorbell rang again. This time it was Lily.

"Hi, _Ash,"_ she said, smiling.

"Hi, Lily. The guys are in the living room, and Nick is still getting ready."

"Okay!" she said in her cheery voice.

"Hi guys!"

Cody and Mike stood up. Cody walked over and greeted her with a smile.

"What's up, girlfriend?" Cody said, laughing. Lily laughed back at him, but Mike was just staring at her, wide-eyed. I walked over to him to help him out.

"Hey, buddy...that's your girlfriend." He just kept staring at her with his mouth open.

Lily was wearing a pink dress that had spaghetti straps and sparkles. The bottom was cut in an angle that reached to her thigh. She was also wearing pink heals. Her hair was in the same style that Katara wore the day of the invasion.

"Go talk to her," I said.

"What?! Are you crazy?!"

"Girls like it when you compliment them. Tell her she looks nice."

"What if I say something stupid?"

"First of all, all us_ always_ act stupid." He nodded his head, agreeing. "Something that I've learned in the time I've been here is that stupid is normal for some people...our group especially. She won't care what you say! She likes you! Go for it!" I gave him a small shove toward her, and he stumbled forward.

"Uh...hi, Lily."

"Hi, Mike!" she said, smiling.

"Uh...you look...nice," he said, blushing furiously. He rubbed the back of his head in a way that reminded me of Aang.

"Oh! Um...thank you!" She was a cheery as ever, and that compliment was probably the height of their relationship.

"No problem," he said, feeling more confidence.

"Ash, are they here yet?" Nick called from the top of the stairs.

"Yeah!" Cody and I went to the stairs with Mike and Lily following.

Nick was wearing a dress with a black top that had quarter sleeves and tight fitted. The bottom part came out from the waist and had three different layers of different shades of purple coming to her mid-thigh. She was wearing black flats and her hair was down with some of it pulled back from the front into a clip at the back. Cody's jaw dropped.

"Hi, guys..."

"Nick, you look so pretty!" Lily shrieked. Nick blushed immediately, feeling embarrassed.

"No, I don't. Anyway, you look great!"

"Thanks! But Nick, really! It looks really nice!"

"Hi, Nick," Cody said. She looked at him and blushed.

"Umm...hi."

"Your dress is.... You're.... You look...really nice." Nick turned a bright shade of pink.

"Oh! ...I...um... you really think so?"

"Well...yeah." Nick immediately turned completely red.

"Wow...I...thank you!"

"No problem."

"You look really great, too."

"Uh...." He when from freckled white to red instantaneously. "Thanks."

"You're welcome!"

Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned around and saw Mei....

She was wearing a blue-green dress that was layered and strapless. It ended high on her thigh. Her hair was straightened and she had a small braid twisted in the front of her hair and hung over to the side, so it looked like a headband.

I was speechless.

"Hi," she said.

I just kept staring at her.

She started to turn pink, and she looked really nervous.... Wait..._she's_ nervous?!

"Hi, Mei."

"I like your outfit," she said.

"You look...amazing."

Her immediate response was that she just stared at me, wide-eyed. Then, she smiled and blushed, (like everyone else in the room).

"Come on! Let's go!" Nick said.

"Wait! Pictures!" said Mrs. Conoscente. She came running in with a camera and everyone got into the picture, nervously.

"Oh, come on! Act like you like each other!" she joked. I put my arm around Mei's waist and held her close to me. She smiled and leaned toward me. Mike and Lily just looked at each and shrugged.

"You can put your arm around her, Mike," Nick's mom said. He gently put his arm around her shoulders and she held his shaking hand.

Cody didn't even move.

"I won't bit, ya know," Nick said, smiling. He looked at her a laughed nervously. "Here." She took his arm and put it around her shoulders. She hugged his waist.

"Now is that so bad?" her mom asked.

"No," was everyone's response. She took a few pictures, and then the same process began with pictures of couples. Then, we heard the news.

_The reported missing girl, Kaitlin McKenna from Sun Bear Junior High was found dead in the parking lot behind the Sun Bear Mall. Authorities say it was a stabbing incident and that they were afraid that there could be a gang on the loose._

"Okay, that does it," Nick's mom said. "I'm driving you all to and from the school dance."

Nick and I looked at each other and said that we were going in the basement to play some video games before the dance. We raced down the stairs and told them everything from what we thought happened to Kaitlin, to the mark on Nick's arm.

"You think there's a connection between the mark on her arm and the Order of the White Lotus?" Mei asked.

"Yeah," said Nick, "and don't forget, my dad was into Chinese culture and what-not. I bet that has something to do with all of this."

"So...you're saying that your dad knew about the White Lotus from Avatar and started an order here?"

"We don't know. He died before the show even came out, but I think there is a tie between the two."

"And these Black Lotus guys?" Mike asked.

"No clue," I said.

"I sent my sixth grade World History teacher an email asking about the White Lotus and what it has to do with Chinese culture. Hopefully, she'll get back to me soon."

"Come on, Nick! Get everyone upstairs! You don't want to be late!" Nick's mom called.

"Let's worry about that stuff later," Mei said. "Come on! We have a dance to go to!"


	11. Chapter Eleven: Protection

The six of us were in the car together, with Nick, Cody, and I huddled into the back seat, Lily and Mike in the middle two chairs, and Mei in the passenger seat next to Mrs. Conoscente. We were finally on our way to the dance, and everyone was blushing, and whispering the whole way there.

"Hey, Nick," I said, tapping her on the shoulder.

"What's up, Zuko?" she whispered back to me.

"Here. Take this," I said, handing her a small box. It was about five inches long, thin and black, with a black rope around the middle.

"Thanks, Zuko," she said, hugging me. "What is it?"

"Open it when you feel the time is right." I took the box from her and gently tied it around her thigh. She pulled her dress back over it and smiled at me.

Then, we pulled up to the front doors.

It was crowded with all of the kids from school. Some of them were in little huddles with their friends, and others were in larger groups. One large group in particular caught my eye. I listened in on the conversation and then it hit me.

"I can't believe it!" One brunette girl was in tears.

"I can't believe she's...gone," said a dark haired boy, completely astonished.

After that, I stopped listening. I felt pity for them, whether or not they weren't the nicest people ever. I'd just suffered a loss recently, so I knew how they felt. As we walked in, I hung my head low and handed the kid my ticket. I didn't even notice we were in the gym until Mei caught my eye.

"You okay?" she asked in a worried tone. She sincerely looked sorry for me, and for some reason, when I looked at her..._Mei_...and realized how much she truly cared about my feelings, I forgot why I was upset in the first place.

I took her hand and looked her in the eyes with a gentle gaze. "I am now." She immediately blushed, and I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.

The room was hardly recognizable. There were blue, green, pink, and orange lights lighting up the room with a soft glow, changing between the different colors. There were tables lining the walls with white table cloths and a single candle in the center with, you guessed it, a white lotus shaped candle holder. I slapped my hand to my forehead at the irony. A band was playing at the front of the room, singing some soft rock, and a little bit of R&B. They were set up on a small elevated stage. (I learned about what Nick called, "real music" when we were doing homework last night. Rock was the way to go, apparently. That became my favorite anyway.)

The six of us went over to a table toward the back of the gym in the corner. I set my coat down at one seat and pulled out the chair to my right for Mei. She looked up at me and grinned. "Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Cody watched as I did that for Mei and immediately pulled out the chair to my left for Nick. What he didn't realize was that she was standing right there. The end result: a bruised foot and a ton of apologies.

"_Shit!_ Nick, I am _so_ sorry! I didn't-"

"Cody, it's fine! No worries!"

He wiped his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. During all of this, I saw out of the corner of my eye that Mike sat next to Cody's seat, and he pulled out the chair for Lily, as well. She was seated next to Mei.

After we were all seated, a new song came on, and all of us jumped up at once, and in a chorus, "Viva la Vida!" [Don't own it, but Coldplay rocks! :D]

Then, Cody and Mike exchanged glances and worried looks.

"Come on!" Nick said, taking Cody's arm. "Please dance with me?" She gave him a sweet, pleading look, and he caved in for her immediately.

"May I have this dance?" I asked Mei, holding out my hand to her.

"I don't know.... I'm not really that great a dancer...."

"I'll teach you."

She smiled and followed me onto the dance floor.

Lily and Mike were left at the table looking around in opposite directions. When Mike realized they were the only ones left, he got some courage.

"Uh...if you want to dance..."

"Sure!" she squealed.

Our three pairs all went out to the middle of the floor and slow danced together. I put my hands around Mei's waist and she put her hands awkwardly around my neck.

"You don't have to be scared ya know," I said. "I don't bite.... I do breathe fire, though."

She giggled at this and both of us turned slightly pink under the blue and green glowing lights.

"Look, I have to talk to you."

"Umm...okay," she said wearily.

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad or anything you did. It's just...

"When I first met you and I found out your name, you know how I felt. I immediately related you to the Mai that I knew, and I'm sorry. That was wrong of me."

"Zuko-"

"Let me finish. Please." She nodded and I continued.

"Then, I soon realized that I shouldn't automatically relate her to you. Your name...it just made me think of her so strongly. But then I found out that you two are not anything alike. She was very melancholy all the time, but I loved that about her. You on the other hand are just the opposite; always trying to crack a joke to make us laugh." She smirked at this, and then I continued. "What I'm trying to say is...even though you're so different, I'm finding out for the first time that life isn't always that bad. You and the others have made me realize that...but you especially. Mai never...she..." I sniffled and Mei gently brushed away the tear. "She never realized that besides us being together, there are other good things in life. I just.... I want to thank you...for everything."

I pulled a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and we stared straight at each other for a few lingering moments. Her eyes sparkled, and in hers, I saw mine shine with a joyous glow for the first time in my life. I felt warm...friendly.

It felt so good.

I felt some sort of energy dragging me toward her...closer...closer...until we were an inch apart. Her scent was enveloping my senses, and I loved it. I let myself drown in it, and before I realized what was happening, the entire gym went black, screams echoing everywhere.

***

Suddenly, the lights went out. Screams were heard everywhere, and I took Cody's hand, holding it gently but firmly. There were kids running in every direction, slamming me into Cody and vice versa several times. I moved my other arm out in front of me, and I tapped the nearest shoulder after a few seconds of groping about.

"Who is that?" was Mike's response.

"Take Lily by the hand and hold Cody's other hand. We have to stay together."

We proceeded to move about the gym, but we quickly came to where Mei and Zuko were. But as soon as I touched Zuko's shoulder, the lights came back on. Everyone stopped screaming and clapped, but the band was no longer on the stage. Everyone stopped clapping at the sight of the newcomers, who were now standing on the stage. Before my brain could even compute who it was, Zuko grabbed my shoulders and thrust both of us under the table nearest us. I ended up hitting my shoulder hard on the gym floor, but I barely noticed the pain as I realized how frantic Zuko was. He quickly draped the cloth back over us, and poked his head out under the cloth. Both of us were on our stomachs on the gym floor.

"Zuko, is that-?"

"Shhushhh!" That confirmed it.

I went next to him and peaked out from under the cloth too. Then, they started speaking.

"NO ONE MOVE!" said the leader. It was the same one who had spoken the last time we met. Bald, with a mustache the black lotus tattoo, but he was slightly bigger than the rest of the group. This time, there were only three of them.

All of the kids started whispering and some had mortified looks on their faces. I looked around frantically for the others but saw nothing. I assumed they'd gotten under a table nearby. I breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"QUIET!!!" the man bellowed at the crowd. The room became quieter, but there were still a few whispers.

"I SAID _QUIET!!!"_ I couldn't see from where I was, but I didn't need to, as I soon heard the deafening sound that would make anybody want to hit the deck and cower. My stomach dropped, and I slammed my eyes shut from the force of the blow. Do the bad guys get _every_ advantage?

"NOW," he said, looking around the room, "BRING US THE BOY WITH THE SCAR AND THE GIRL WITH THE BIRTHMARK!"

I looked to Zuko, pleading for him to let me go, just me, but his gaze remained unmoved, staring endlessly at the men. I took that as a "no".

"YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS!" I looked to Zuko with a frightened expression, but he didn't even look at me as he shook his head.

Those were the longest ten seconds of my life.

"ALRIGHT! IF NO ONE IS GOING TO GIVE THEM UP..." He paused and looked about the room. Something by a table must have caught his eye, and I held my breath as I saw him yank out Cody from under the table. Tears instinctively started pouring down my face while I watched as he gripped him by the collar of his shirt and held him up, high over his head. Cody grabbed the man's hand and tried to get him off his shirt, but his efforts were futile.

I started to get up, but Zuko quickly slammed my back to the ground. I stared daggers at him, and I could tell he knew the pain I felt through my glare, but he remained un-phased as he shook his head again.

As a heard my tears hit the floor, my pain turned to rage when I saw the man raise his gun to Cody's head. For a few seconds longer, he continued to struggle, unaware of the danger that now faced him. Then he faced the man, still struggling. When he saw what was happening, his eyes grew wide and his body went numb with fear.

"GIVE THEM UP, OR I'LL SHOOT!!!"

"NOOOOOOO!!!"

Time stopped then.

Everyone was looking at me.

I felt the stares, the whispers, the gasps.

I didn't care.... I didn't even notice.

My social life was nothing.

My school career was nothing.

My _life_ was nothing. I cared about one thing right then and there.

I knew the one thing I wanted..._needed._

Anything..._anything..._

For his safety.

I spread my arms out and stared straight into the man's eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cody staring at me, mouth gaping.

"Let. Him. Go."

The man looked at me blankly for a few seconds, but then a sickening grin spread across his face. He lowered the gun and dropped Cody to the gym floor, a few feet below. He got on his hands and knees as Lily, Mei, and Mike came out from underneath another table nearby. They were at his side in seconds, but they were paying attention to Cody.

Everyone else in the room watched me as the man raised his gun and aimed for my forehead. I took the lonely road down the gym to the stage, and I stood there, looking up at him.

"He isn't here. He's gone," I told him. I remained unafraid on the surface, but I knew what I was doing. But no matter how stupid I knew it was, it was my choice. I wanted nothing more than for no one else to get hurt.

But what I wanted wasn't my reason.

I wanted my school to be safe.

My reason was my need.

My need is Cody.

"So be it," he sneered. He nodded his head toward me, and the other two men came to my sides at once, each roughly grabbing my upper arms. He nodded to them again, and they lifted me by my arms onto the stage. I felt the burn of twisted and stretched skin, but I ignored it as I faced my entire school.

"THIS IS THE GIRL WE WANT," he said to everyone, "AND IT'S BECAUSE OF _THIS_," He grabbed the sleeve of my dress and ripped part of it off, revealing my birthmark. "THAT WE WANT HER. SHE IS NOT YOUR FRIEND! YOU HAVE BEEN FOOLED! SHE IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN ENEMY TO SOCIETY! HER, AND THE BOY! BUT AFTER TONIGHT, YOU SHALL ONLY FEAR THE BOY! THE OTHER _MARKED ONE!"_ He spat out the title, as if the title was a curse and my own name, as well as Zuko's.

The man then jumped off the stage, into the crowd, and everyone backed up a few feet. He proceeded to leave the gym, and the men lead me to the door. I kept my head down on the way.

When we finally reached the door, I jerked myself to a stop, and they stumbled for a second, just long enough for me to take one last look at my friends. With tears in my eyes, I gave them a look that said it all, and I looked to the table where Zuko was for a brief moment, hoping he'd get the message as well. I looked to Cody one last time, and he gave me the same look right back. Then, the men threw me out the gym doors.

That was the last I saw of them.


	12. Chapter Twelve: Connection

Nick disappeared out the doors.

Then everyone was in a panic.

Kids were screaming and running around the gym. Some teachers started to send the students home, while others called the police. Mei and Lily were crying while Mike was standing there in shock. I rushed over to where they were on the gym floor, Lily and Mei holding each other with Cody staring at the doors. He didn't move when I took his arm.

"She's gone," I told him, "but we'll get her back."

"We'll get her back?" he turned around, questioning me. "We'll get her _back?!"_

"Look, you have to trust me, okay?"

"Why should I trust _you?!" _he screamed at me. "You're the reason she's gone in the first place! She could be hurt out there!" He turned away from me, then and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "She could be...." He drifted off and dropped his arms at his sides.

"No she won't," I told him sternly. I walked in front of him and put my hands on his shoulders. "Look at me." He looked up, his eyes filled with tears. "We will save her."

He nodded at me once and turned around, facing the others. "Guys!" he yelled at them. All of them immediately turned their attention to him. I smirked at his newfound confidence. "Shut the _hell_ up, and get ready to go!" Everyone just stared at him blankly for a minute.

"But where would we go?" Mike asked. "Dude, you don't have any logic! Where would we even start to look?"

"Did she take her phone with her?" Mei asked. "She always has it on her."

"Make we can tap into her navigation system!" Cody said, excitedly.

"Or text her...?" Mei said.

"That would make them hear her phone....duh," Mike interrupted.

"Do we know if she even took it with her?" Cody asked.

"No. She left it home for some reason," Lily said. "She had nowhere to keep it, because she didn't bring a bag."

"My uncle would know if he was here...." I thought aloud. "Maybe.... No, it can't be...."

"Something wrong, Zuko?" Mei asked.

"No, it's....it's nothing." If only Uncle were here. He knows more about the Order of the White Lotus than I do...."I've got it!"

"What?!" everyone screamed at me.

"Shh!" I said. I looked around, but then I realized that there were only a few teachers left in the gym and a group of kids waiting for their parents outside. "We need to get to a computer right now."

"Would a phone work?" Mike asked. "I get internet service."

"I might." I took the phone and went to the browser. I punched in the site address and typed in Nick's screen name. "Anyone know a password?"

"Why are we hacking her email?" Mei asked.

"She said she asked a teacher more about this whole thing, but discretely," I said, trying passwords. None of them were working.

"Did she say the name?" Lily asked.

"She said something about that she would be the only person who would know about this sort of thing."

"Who would know about Asian history?" Mike asked.

"That would be me," said a kind voice from behind us. We all jumped, and when we turned around, we saw a middle-aged woman with short blonde hair. "I'm a sixth grade World History teacher. I'm Mrs. Amato."

"Your class used to be next to my homeroom!" Mei said.

"Yes, I remember you," she said, smiling. "You were Nicolette's loud friend, Mei."

Mei paused for a second. "Well...yeah." Mrs. Amato laughed.

"What did you need help with?" she asked.

"Well..." I said, stepping forward, "you see, there's this thing.... It's called the Order of the White Lotus."

"Ah, yes! The White Lotus! Chinese history. You mean to say the White Lotus Rebellion, right?"

All of us looked at each other with confused looks. "That's the problem. We don't know what it is," I replied.

"That would explain a lot," she said, laughing. "Well, The White Lotus Rebellion was a rebellion in ancient China during the Yuan era. Emperor didn't allow any citizen to have their own religion or free speech. Then, a group of rebels decided to take the crown when they became tired of following these strict laws. Their leader was Zhu Yuanzhang, also known as Chu Yüan-chang, and together he and the rebels took the crown and started the Ming dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang became the new Emperor of China. This rebellion was the largest rebellion in China, and was later followed by the-"

"Boxer Rebellion in the west," Mike said. Mei rolled her eyes.

"You're such a smart-ass."

"Yes. Yes, I am."

Mrs. Amato laughed. "Yes, you're right. The Boxer Rebellion, which was a group of Chinese-Americans, wanted to stop racism toward them in the early 1900's."

"That's it!" I said aloud.

"Now, can you explain to me why you need to know this when your friend is in trouble?" she asked. All them looked to me.

"We were trying to figure out how that related to the Boxer Rebellion. She wanted to know how the two were related for a project."

"Oh.... Well I guess that explains it then," she said, walking away. As she left, she winked at me, and I nodded at her.

"Okay...where did that get us?" Mike asked.

"Now we know how the show is linked to real life," Mei said.

"And we know that Nick has a connection to me," I said.

"Weird..." Lily said.

"Obviously not," Cody said. "The creators probably have some sort of link to the Order."

"So what? Does this mean Nick's dad was a member of the American branch or something? Mike said. "To what? Fight for Chinese rights?"

"No," I said. "It's to fight for freedom and to protect their beliefs and the people they love."

"That makes more sense," Mei said.

"So what does this mean?" Lily asked. "Is Nick some sort of prophecy ninja that's supposed to save the world like in those cheesy movies and shows?"

"She might just be a born-member...like I was, I guess. I'm a member through my uncle, so she probably is through her dad," I said.

"So what does this do for us now?" Cody asked.

"We know why they want us. I'm the leader in my world, and she's the leader in yours."

"Whoa," they all said.

"What are we waiting for?!" Mei asked. "We have to go save her!"

"I don't think that's necessary," I replied. "She has been having some issues lately with her identity and how she fits in to your world, but I think she's about to find out who she really is."

***

*Nick

I'm in a dark car on a highway somewhere, with only the passing streetlights for me to occasionally see the front of the van. I was thrown into the back of a black van, hands tied, mouth taped. There was another black car following us with the rest of them, including their boss.

"Now that we've finally got you, you little scoundrel, the boss can finally decide what to do with you and put an end to another Mente interfering with our plans," said the man in the passenger seat.

"Yeah," said the driver. "That damn Mente was a pain in the ass. Of course, you can never hope to best the pest your father was. He's probably saying you're a failure!" The two men started laughing at his comment.

I knew they were saying this on purpose to get my guard down, but sadly...it was working. I would never hope to be the hero my dad was. I don't even know if I can save myself. I've always imagined crazy scenarios where I could be a hero like my dad. But here and now, I realize that I'm afraid. I know I can save myself, but I don't know how. My entire body is shaking with defeat. If only there was some sign that could get me my nerve back.

Then it hit me.

I used my teeth to bite off the tape on my mouth and I spit it out onto the floor. Then, I used my teeth to pull up the skirt of my dress. And there, on my leg, was the little black box tied to my thigh. I looked up to make sure they weren't looking, but I realized that they were still bad-mouthing my father.

My face burned and my fists were clenched so tight behind my back, that I felt blood rush down my wrists as my nails pierce my skin. I clench my teeth to keep from screaming in a blind rage. I know I have to focus.

I use my teeth again after taking a deep breath and bite my way slowly through the rope that ties the box to my leg. Before I ripped through it, the rope fell down my leg and the box fell open on the floor. I saw a flash of light come from the box before I hear a light clanging noise on the floor of the van. I look up to make sure they didn't hear, but they were still talking.

I squint at the floor, trying to see the object. As the van continues down the highway, the light from a streetlamp slowly fills the car and first I see a shining black object. As the light hits the car head-on, I realize what it is exactly, and I smirk with a chuckle.

I crawl closer to the knife and another light shines into the car, and I recognize the inscription immediately. I smile widely. I felt my confidence in a warm, exhilarating rush of energy.

I grab the knife with my teeth quickly and place it between my feet. I know what my next move is, but I know how painful it would be and how I may break a bone or two. I decide to hold my breath and take my chances.

I sit up and slowly try to bring my hands underneath my butt, (being that they're tied together) and bring them under my legs. I soon discover that the movement puts more strain on me than I expected and I decide to do it in one quick shot. I bunch up my dress and bite down on it hard to keep them from hearing my scream, if I do.

Three...

Two...

One...

I managed to bring my arms forward under my legs, and I'm home-free. I screamed louder than I meant to, but my dress kept me from being too loud. I felt and heard the cracks in my arms, but it quickly turned to relief because it ended up that it just cracked my shoulders instead of damaging them like I thought. The ropes on my arms pulled at my wrists a little too much because I saw my wrists and forearm turn purple slightly. I sighed and continued to bring my arms around my legs. Knife in feet, I slowly cut the rope on my wrists so as to not drop the knife, and I cut myself loose. I was free now, but I had to come up with a plan to stop them without crashing the car.

***

*Zuko

The three of us decided to head back to my - Nick's place, and we told mom that she went home with her other friend not in the group, Ray. Of course, she asked why and individually asked me if she and Cody had a fight, but I told her that everything was fine, and that she was invited over to just see him play a song he wrote. I reminded her that everyone's parents were coming soon so no one else could go with her, and that since she left her phone home, she told me to tell her. She was a little annoyed, but she got over it quickly.

All of us sat in her room and called all of the parents and asked to have a giant sleepover, guys bunk with me and girls with Nick, obviously. They asked me why, and I responded with, "You want to know as soon as she gets back, right?" None of them argued.

Thankfully, to make up for the dance, Cleo wasn't home to bother us because she was at a sleepover at her friend's house.

First, I tried playing her iPod with some Linkin Park songs. "In The End" didn't exactly do it for us, and neither did "What I've Done." Then I tried encouraging them with some Avatar episodes, but "Me Alone" and "The Southern Raiders" weren't the wisest of choices in the world. All of them were shut off at most a minute into them. I was about to try another song, "Breathe Into Me," but Mei stopped me.

"Zuko..." she said sighing. She took my arm gently and pulled me away from the iPod. "We know you want to help but-"

"Look, I know you guys are miserable and nervous right now, but she's coming back! You have to trust me!" I said. "You have to believe in her! She'll be back!"

Mei shook her head and went back to sitting on her bed and biting her nails, anxiously. Lily was staring out the window into the dark, rainy nighttime sky. Mike was leaning against the wall with his head down and face expressionless. Cody...well...I can't even tell.

He's sitting on her couch.... But that's it. He's just sitting there. He hasn't moved or said a word since we came home. He just keeps staring at the floor with no feeling in his face at all. His eyes are dazed and red, and other than his breathing, there weren't any other signs of life. As a new friend of his...it was painful to see him like this.

I slumped down to the floor and put my face in my hands. What have I done? We were supposed to work to together. We were supposed to have each others' backs. She had mine, but I let her down. But I know she's going to come back. She has to. And I'm not crazy! She is coming back. I can't describe it, but I can...I can _sense_ it.

Then it started.

Out of the clear blue, my scar started to burn with agonizing force. I cried out, out of shock and fell over onto my side, gripping my face. I couldn't hear anything over the pain, but I felt presences hovering over me and I twisted and contorted in my suffering. The pain was just as bad as, and possibly worse, than when Azula shot me with lightning. I couldn't move. I stopped writhing when I finally gave up on fighting it. The pain consumed my entire being from the inside, out. I knew this was what I'd been waiting for. I knew this was my time.

I laid there on my back, eyes blurred and unable to tell person from person. My face was scorching hot, but it hurt far too much to move. Then my eyes only saw the faint outline of the people around me. I then saw spots of colors and everything went black.

The odd part was that I was still semi-conscious. I was in a black abis...falling...falling....

The first thing I heard was inaudible. I couldn't even begin to decipher it because I could barely hear it. The second time, it came again, only stronger now. The third was when I could finally understand that it was a scream. Whether it was agony or not, I couldn't tell. But then I realized that there were two distinct sounds; clearly two different people. The first was definitely female. She's calling my name....

Mei....

The second was a blood curdling scream. Whether it was pain, defeat, or something else, I have no idea. But it was also female, but it was hard to decipher from the pitch of the yell. I recognized the voice not from experience but from shear instinct alone.

Nick.

I couldn't possibly hope to imagine why she screamed, but I didn't have time to think about it because I started to wake up.

A blinding light hit my eyes and I shot straight up, sweating. Everyone gasped because I had apparently startled them with my sudden awakening. Mei put her hand on my shoulder. I moaned and blinked my eyes.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"About an hour," Mei said.

I looked around and realized that they'd laid me on the bed. Everyone was around me, but Cody was still emotionless. Then I remembered my dream.

"I heard her!" I said. All of them gave me a funny look, and Cody just looked at me without an expression. "I heard Nick! She's alive!" At this, everyone got excited...even Cody.

"You did?!" Mei started asking. "How?! What did she-UGH!" Cody had shoved her over and jumped up on the bed.

"What did she say?" he said, obviously strained. "Is she okay?"

"She... I..."

"Please." He looked at me with pleading in his eyes.

I sighed.

"She was screaming. I couldn't tell why, though," I said quickly when everyone's faces dropped. "It might have been joy, it might have been...well, I don't know what it was. But she's alive. That much I'm sure."

Cody started gazing out the window. The others asked me more questions.

"What did she sound like?"Mike asked.

"It's hard to explain...." I looked down, trying to think. "It was definitely..._blood-curdling,_" I said. I looked up again to find that Cody had gripped his arms and held them tightly to his body. I looked away from him, unable to bare it.

"How do you know she's alive?" Lily asked.

"I..._heard_ her...her voice." I almost said _felt her presence_, but that would've freaked them out. No one seemed to notice the change though...or so I think.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

All of us jumped up and raced to the door, but Cody was the first one down, pushing past everyone else. Nick's mom answered the door, but she gave us a weird look.

The first reaction was Cody hugging her immediately at the sight of her. I didn't even get a glance at her before he nearly tackled her. Her mom and the rest of us laughed while Mei chorused, "Aww!" with Lily.

"Never do that to me again," Cody whispered in her ear. I was the only one paying attention, so I was the only one that heard.

"You too."

When Cody was done, Mei jumped on top of her, actually knocking her onto the floor. Lily jumped in as well. When that was over with, Mike gave her a high-five.

"I gotta hand it to ya. You kick ass!" She laughed and hugged him quickly, too.

While they talked, I looked her over a few times. Her dress was full of mud and her face had dirt all over it. Her hair was straight, as usual, but it was soaking wet from the rain. Her feet were brown with mud, and her legs, arms, and cheeks had some cuts and bruises. The front of her hair was stained red with blood with some dripping down the side of her face and some falling slowly down her forehead. I stepped closer to her and took off the sweater I'd put on when we got back. I gently dabbed the blood on her face, and she looked up at me and smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered to me.

"No. Thank you."

"Welcome back, Nick," her mom said. "Everyone was really worried about you."

I quickly wrapped my sweater around her arms and draped the hood over her face to hide the blood, at least.

"Did you slip and fall?" she asked Nick. "You need to be more careful!" she said looking at the bruises on her legs.

"I'm fine," she said in her usual, uncaring tone when it comes to getting hurt. She's always tripping on the sidewalks and falling up, yes, I mean _up_ the stairs. Yet, I have to hand it to her; she's good.

She raced up the stairs as her mom yelled to her to put alcohol and Band-Aids on the cuts. She went straight to her room, and as soon as Lily shut the door with all of us inside, she dropped to her knees and started to fall forward. Luckily, Cody was already at her side and caught her before her face hit the floor. He leaned her upper body back and we all picked her up and laid her on the bed. She was conscious but obviously weak. She looked up at all of us.

"Mind if I tell you everything tomorrow?" she breathed.

"Of course not!" we all yelled at her.

"Hey, Cody..." she said.

"Yeah?"

She reached for his hand, but she was too weak to grab it. He sat down on the bed next to her. He reached for her hand and held it, gently soothing it with his finger. She pressed his hand to her cheek.

"Thank you." And after that, she fell asleep.

Cody's face turned a fiery red and Lily and Mei chorused a whispered, "Aww!" He didn't notice though. He was still smiling at Nick.

All of us slowly creeped out of the room and let Cody sit there watching her.

His eyes came back with a new glow that shined much brighter than before.

**I hope you all liked it! I'm really sorry for not posting this chapter sooner, but things have gotten a little crazy for the time being. I'm going to post the next chapter within the next week or two because I'm just brewing with new ideas now! **

**The part about the White Lotus Rebellion is actually true, believe it or not. I wanted to throw in some real facts to tie in the show to real life. Weird how similar it is, right? You can look it up online because it's real Chinese history. So cool! :D**

**I'd really appreciate some reviews of this chapter especially, so if you can just tell me how you liked it, I'd love that so much! You guys are all awesome! Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next chapter! :D I wonder what the morning will bring.... You'll just have to wait to find out!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Fear

After a few minutes of silence, Cody walked into my room with a smile on his face...that I'd never seen before. And judging by the looks of everyone else, they hadn't either.

"Well...?" Mei asked.

"What happened?!" Lily screamed.

Cody just shook his head with a low chuckle. "Nothing," he said simply with the same expression.

"Sure..." Mike said, sarcastically.

"Really, I mean it. Nothing happened." He took off his jacket and threw it to the side, lazily. He proceeded to loosen his tie and took off his shoes. He then sat on the bed and looked out the window with the same smile on his face.

"Dude...what happened?!" Mike yelled.

"I told you already. Nothing happened. Really, I mean it. I just..." He stopped for a second to think. "I'm just so relieved she's okay."

"All of us are," I said over Lily and Mei chorusing, 'Aww!' "She saved all of us."

He looked down, and his smile left his face. "I was the one they used. If it was anyone else, maybe I'd be the one in her position right now.... Maybe I wouldn't have even come that far." He stopped and looked at us. "If anything happened to her, it would have been my fault." He looked down again and didn't say anything. Neither did anyone else.

I sighed and put my hand on his shoulder. "First of all, you're a pretty brave kid," I said, smiling. He still didn't look up. "Second, she would have done that for any of us. I know that for a fact."

"Even me?" Mike asked.

"I wouldn't," Mei commented. Mike rolled his eyes.

"I would!" said Lily with her optimism, as usual. Mike put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her gently.

"And third, she wanted to do that the whole time. I kept holding her back at first, but then when you were brought up there.... It was like something came over her completely. She really cares about you. It reminds me of how Mai and I cared for each other." At this, he looked up at me with a questioning look.

"Similar things have happened to Mai and I way back when."

He smirked, and it slowly turned into that new smile he had. He just looked at me for a minute before I said, "You have something...special." Mei and Lily sang again.

"Shut up!" Mike, Cody and I said together.

"Well then!" Lily said. She 'angrily' stomped away. "Come on Mei. Let's go to bed now." We all paused for half a second before she started laughing hard and said, "Nah! Just kidding!"

"Night, Zuko," Mei said.

"Goodnight," I said, hugging her tightly. I then whispered in her ear, "I will always protect you." She gently pulled away from me and looked at me, hard. "I promise."

She threw herself into me again and said, "I've never had someone who cared about me this much before. Not even my parents." She pulled tighter on the last word. "Please... I'll do anything.... Just don't leave me behind!"

I pulled her in close to me and I held her face in my hands, making her look me in the eyes, dead on. "I will _never _let you go."

"Our turn!" said Cody and Mike, "AWWWWWWW!"

Mei turned bright red, but she quickly turned on them. "I'll be the crap out of you if you don't shut up now!"

"Oh God! Okay, okay, relax," Cody said.

"I don't really care either way," Mike said. Mei rolled her eyes at him.

"Goodnight Mike!" Lily said. She threw her arms around him, and he fell back onto the bed in shock. She laughed and he did too, quickly hugging her back.

"Night, Lily."

***

"Shh! You don't want to wake her up!" Lily said in a whisper, somewhat loud.

My eyes were closed and I only felt the sensation of presence, and I smelt Cody's cologne. I breathed it in as I slowly opened my eyes.

"She's awake!" Mei said.

"Quiet! You don't want everyone coming back in here, do you?" Lily asked her.

She ignored her and came to the side of the bed. "Hey, guys," I said. My voice cracked with hoarseness.

"How are you feeling?" Mei asked me.

"When I saw Cody... a _lot_ better," I said, my voice weakening.

"Do you want some water or something?" Lily said.

"That'd be nice." She left the room and Mei continued questioning me.

"I won't ask what happened, 'cause you said you'd explain tomorrow...but I do want to know!"

"Nope. You have to wait like everyone else."

"What happened when Cody was in here?! Did he-?"

"No, Mei," I told her as sternly as I could manage. "The moment was perfect nevertheless."

She smiled at me, and Lily came back into the room.

"Did I miss something again?!" Lily asked.

Mei just smirked. Lily looked at me with an angry expression.

"No, Lily. Mei's just being a bitch."

"As usual," Lily and Mei said, simultaneously.

All of us started laughing. I coughed after a second or two and stopped.

"Jeeze, Nick! You sound horrible," Lily observed.

"Thanks, Lily," I breathed. A sharp pain had just hit me hard in the back of my head. I closed my eyes tightly against the pain.

"Headache?" Mei asked.

"No," I said, lowly. I barely uttered the word. The pain was creeping up on me, fast.

"What's wrong then?" Mei asked again, as I reached my hand behind my head. When I took my hand away, I smelt it first...then saw it. Mei and Lily covered their noses. I sat up, slowly.

"Is that...?" Lily trailed off.

"Blood," I said. My hair that had fallen out had covered my pillow before, but when I sat up, I saw that my pillow went from dark blue to black with it. I felt the stickiness of it on my hair.

"What the-?" Mei said. None of us expected this. "What happened?" she asked, holding her nose and looking away.

"I don't...I don't...know..." I said between breaths. My breathing started to quicken, impulsively. "My mom's gonna find out!" I shrieked. "What...do...we do?" I breathed. I was losing control of my breathing, fast.

"Nick...Nick! Can you hear me?" I heard her say. My eyes started rolling back into my head, and my body felt dangerously cold.

I was dying. I knew it. I felt it.

I wasn't ready for it.

I needed to see him one last time.

"Nick...!" I heard them scream, faintly.

Then there was darkness.

***

I shot up in bed with a scream loud enough to hurt my own ears. I was sweating and crying slightly, but when I remembered the dream I'd just had, I started hyperventilating from crying so hard. This all happened so fast that Lily and Mei were still just waking themselves up.

"Nick...? Something wrong?" Mei asked quickly. Mei and Lily got off of the double bed futon, and Lily flicked on the lights. The second they saw me in this state, they rushed over to me, hugging me.

"Nick, it's ok! It's ok!" For another ten minutes or so, I just sat there letting them hug me, trying to calm down. When I was finally calm enough to speak, I told them from when they walked in the room, to when I died.

"You died?!" Lily screamed.

"Yeah."

"But...then how are you still alive? When you die in your dream, you die in real life!"

"I know that. But I don't understand how I'm alive either."

"Maybe you just thought you died," Lily suggested. "The dream may have ended just before you died."

"That true, I guess. But it was so..._real. _And I felt the pain. I really thought I was going to die."

"Way to bring down the mood again Nick," Lily said. "You really scared us!" I felt my nerves twist my stomach as it did whenever she said something like that to me, but I ignored it best I could. Mei was still interested.

"So... Why were you crying? You thought you'd die without seeing Cody one last time?"

I turned away from her and threw the blanket back over my head. "I don't know," I muttered.

"Uh huh. Sure...." Mei said, turning off the lights. "Night, Nick."

"Night, guys...."

That's when I realized that even if I died_ for_ him.... I couldn't handle dying _without_ him.

***

When I woke up, I felt the light of the rising sun on my face. I yawned and opened my eyes. I looked around and saw that Mike was still asleep, drooling, (there's a shock) and Cody was sitting up against the wall, apparently listening to his iPod. I breathed again, taking in the sun's energy and walked over to Cody. He was listening to "Dirty Little Secret."

"There's a shock," I muttered. He heard me and jumped slightly, and then he took out his earplugs.

"You scared me."

"You've liked her awhile, haven't you?"

"Yeah..."

"Longer than I think, huh?"

"Yeah. But I don't care about that anymore. I'm happy now."

"You should tell her that."

"Wait, what?"

"Tell her. She'll want to hear that."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

***

At breakfast, Cody tapped me on the shoulder. I was a little anxious about talking to him after last night. He nodded his head to the back door, and we got up and went outside.

It was a cool, slightly breezy morning, moist from the heavy rain the night before. The sun was shining bright above the horizon. Cody led me to the back of the yard behind the pool area where no one could see us.

I smiled at him, nervously, and he smiled back. I wondered if he'd heard me scream last night, and I was about to ask him what he wanted to say when he started.

"I... Do you want to know the truth?" he asked. I hesitated, slightly thrown off-guard but nodded intently. He looked away from me, speaking gently and slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I like you...a lot. And, I have for a long time now. And, I know you know this already, but I wanted you to know something else to. I was talking to Zuko and he was the one who told me that you'd want to hear this." He breathed and then continued. "Yeah...It's true that when you made it clear that you just wanted to be friends with me...it hurt. I was in pain." He stopped and looked at me. "But then... I don't know. Something changed after awhile."

"You're right. Something did change," I said. "I liked you back. I really did, even in the beginning. I was just so torn because I... Well... You more special to me than you know. Trust me," I said with a light chuckle. He watched my every movement and listened so intently, it was like he was nervous about what I was trying to say. "After everything you've done for me... I was still selfish," I confessed. I wanted to keep you in my life as long as possible, and I was afraid a relationship could ruin what we have. But I've came to realize... I'm miserable without you. I just didn't want to lose you if it ended badly. And I'm sorry. Not only did you...help me, I guess you can say, but I continued to just leave it the way it was when in reality... I really did want to be with you." I paused and took a shuddering breath. "I'm so sorry. And if you don't forgive me, I understand." I looked at the ground, unable to have the strength to take his rejection.

But...he did the opposite of what I expected.

I felt his hand on my shoulder, and when he left it there, I looked up and saw him look at me with the same face I'd always known...but it had sincerity written all over it. He gripped me in a hug that was strong and relieved...happy and caring...excitement...and forgiving.

"Thank _you_," he told me. "Thank you for everything."

"You too, Cody. You too."


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Confession

"Hey! I have a great idea!" Mei said suddenly. We were sitting in my room listening to music and talking. We all looked up at her with interested expressions.

"What?"

"A triple date!"

None of us responded.

"Oh come on! Lily, you've never been on a date with Mike, and you've been going out for a year!" Both of them blushed and looked away. "Cody, you and Nick just started going out, so I say that this is perfect!" We did the same. "And Zuko... I'd like to give it a try. That is... only if you want to."

"I'd like that," he said. Mei's face lit up.

"Okay," I said. "But where would we go?"

"A movie?" Lily asked.

"Nah. Too cliché," Mei said.

"What about bowling?" Cody asked.

"Not loving that idea."

"What about...dinner?" I asked her in whisper.

"Too formal, Nick.... I've got it! Pack your bags guys! We're going to the beach!"

"Yes! Finally! I've been wanting to go for days!" Zuko said.

"Then it's settled. As a start to the spring, we'll go to the beach."

"This should be good...." I said, rolling my eyes.

***

"No! No way am I wearing _that_!" I said. Mei kept shoving the bathing suit at me.

"But it'll look great on you! And it's your favorite color!"

"But...it's a bikini!"

"And it's a crime to wear one?"

"No, but-"

"Then you're fine. Lily, help me get this thing on her!"

"I will beat the shit out of both of you if you lay one hand on me." Both of them backed up slightly, and I heard a whimper from Lily.

"Just wear it!"

"Only if you wear this," I said throwing a bathing suit at Mei, "and you wear this," I said, throwing another at Lily.

"Not in a million years!" Mei complained.

"This was your idea. And if you two don't wear those, than I won't wear mine."

Both of them looked at each other and then back at the bathing suits with a sigh.

***

"Wow," Mike says. Lily had just come downstairs with a black halter top bikini with white boy-short styled bottoms.

Zuko whistled as Mei came downstairs with a purple bikini with a lime green belt and straps.

Cody's eyes bulged as I came downstairs with a simple royal blue bikini with light blue straps.

"Ready guys?" I asked, excited.

All of the guys nodded silently. Mei, Lily, and I laughed.

***

All of us took my mom's car to the beach and she dropped us off there leaving the rest to us.

All of us unloaded our stuff and put down our towels close to the shore. Mike had brought his iPod and docking station with him so we listened to some Linkin Park for awhile. We talked and joked for about an hour.

"Okay, guys! I'm hitting the waves! Who's coming?"

"I will!" Zuko said.

"I'll come too then!" Mei said.

"If you're going, I'll come," Cody said.

"I'm coming!" Lily said in her sing-song voice.

"That means I'm coming," Mike said shrugging.

All of us got into the water and splashed around for awhile. Then I suggested we play Under-Over.

"How do you play?" Zuko asked.

"It's easy," Mike said. "When the leader calls 'under,' you have to go under the wave. When they call 'over,' you ride the wave. Got it, Fireball?"

"Yeah, I – Hey!" Zuko said, pushing Mike under the water.

"Oh!" Lily said. "Can I be leader first?"

"Sure," Mei said. "I'm next."

"Okay! Ready? Over!" All of us rode the wave with ease. "Under!" We all caught our breath and went under. I felt the familiar crashing of the waves over my body as silent water flooded my ears. I came up and brushed the water out of my eyes.

"Uh...Guys? Where's Lily?" Cody asked. I had forgotten that she barely knew how to swim. I looked around frantically hoping for a lifeguard before I remembered that we were at the local, private, town beach, only for residents of our town. In other words, everybody for themselves; swim at your own risk.

Shit.

In an instant, I dove underwater and opened my eyes. The salt stung slightly, but when I saw Lily being tossed around in the waves too far out, I bulleted as quick as I could out to her. I grabbed her arm and put it over my shoulder, swimming to the surface. I heard her take in a huge gasp of air before she started choking and sputtering like crazy. I swam back toward the rest of the group, and Zuko quickly took her in his arms and carried her to shore.

Everyone followed him and sat on the shore, trying to calm her down. She stopped after a few moments but then spit up some the water that was still stuck.

"I'm okay," she said, weakly. We all breathed again.

"Thank God," I said. Then I threw myself into the sand with a sigh of relief.

"You okay?" Mei asked. I was still face-down in the sand. I lifted one arm and gave a thumbs-up. "She's good!" But when I lifted my head up, everyone was swarmed around Lily...except Mike. I turned around to see him sitting right next to me.

"Dude! Where the hell did you come from?!" I shouted at him.

"I checked if she was okay, and she is."

"But how did you end up over here without me noticing?"

"I told you, I'm training to be a ninja assassin. This is just part of the training."

"Fabulous," I said, putting my head down again. "Is Cody still over there?" I asked, with my voice muffled by the sand.

"Yup." I picked up my head again to watch.

"Are you sure you're okay, Lily?" Cody asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks Cody!"

"I'm just making sure. You could have gotten hurt."

"I'm fine! Really!"

I put my head back down. "Somebody kill me."

"Sure!" Mike said. He then proceeded to act out using a sword to slice my head off.

"Gee. Thanks, Mike."

"No problem!"

"_What's wrong, Nick?"_

"AH!" I screamed, jumping up. I looked around frantically for the owner of the voice. It didn't sound like one of the guys....

"_You were always the one to try to help others, weren't you?"_

"Who's there?!" I shouted to no one in particular.

"Nick, are you okay?" Zuko said, rushing over.

"_I'm sorry you miss me so much...."_

I covered my ears. "Shut up!"

"Nick...?"

"It's not you!" I said, covering my ears, still. _"I miss you too." _"There's this voice.... I can't get it out of my head!"

"What's it saying?"

"_I'm sorry for all of us this happening to you now. But I know you'll be strong enough to handle this." _

"Stop it! Not again! I'm not crazy! Just get out of my head!" I was still covering my ears and closing my eyes, trying to get the voice out.

"_You're the rightful leader of the Order of the White Lotus. Zuko is here to guide you along."_

"AAAAAAAH!" I screamed. I fell back and hit my head hard on the wet sand. I stopped screaming and just lay there, motionless. I suddenly felt everyone's presence around me.

"Nick! What's wrong?!" Mei asked, frantic.

"Nick! Can you hear me?!" Lily said.

"_I'm sorry for the headache this is causing you, but it's the only way I can communicate with you. I'll be here whenever you need help. Just look inside yourself and you'll find me again...."_

"DON'T GO!" I screamed, sitting up. I vaguely saw everyone around me back up. I stopped and looked around at everyone. "Don't go...." Tears started dripping down my face. "Not again...."

I felt a hand around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. I just sat there crying into Cody's arms for a few minutes.

"Are you okay?" he asked me.

"Yeah. Thank you."

"What happened to you?" Lily asked.

"I heard...a voice...again," I replied.

"Who was it?" Mei asked.

"What do you mean 'again'?" Zuko said.

"I think it's time I told you guys about what _really_ happened last night."

"Nick.... What's going on?" Mei asked.

"Nick, look at me," Zuko said, firmly. I looked up at him. His eyes were sincere but serious. "You know what's going on. You _need_ to tell me."

"Don't you mean tell _'us'_?" Lily said.

"Okay. I'll tell you. Well, first of all, you guys talked to Mrs. Amato, didn't you?"

"How did you-?" Lily started.

"I got an email from her early this morning. I thanked her and told her that I was fine. Anyway, after they threw me into the van, they gagged me and tied me up. It was dark and cold, but I managed fine. At first, I couldn't find my strength, but I had something that helped me out a lot...."

~*~

I used my teeth to bite off the tape on my mouth and I spit it out onto the floor. Then, I used my teeth to pull up the skirt of my dress. And there, on my leg, was the little black box tied to my thigh. I looked up to make sure they weren't looking, but I realized that they were still bad-mouthing my father.

My face burned and my fists were clenched so tight behind my back, that I felt blood rush down my wrists as my nails pierce my skin. I clench my teeth to keep from screaming in a blind rage. I know I have to focus.

I use my teeth again after taking a deep breath and bite my way slowly through the rope that ties the box to my leg. Before I ripped through it, the rope fell down my leg and the box fell open on the floor. I saw a flash of light come from the box before I hear a light clanging noise on the floor of the van. I look up to make sure they didn't hear, but they were still talking.

I squint at the floor, trying to see the object. As the van continues down the highway, the light from a streetlamp slowly fills the car and first I see a shining black object. As the light hits the car head-on, I realize what it is exactly, and I smirk with a chuckle.

~*~

"Then what happened?" Mei asked.

"Well thanks to Zuko, I had a knife, even though I didn't know how to use it. I basically just followed my instincts."

"And...?!" Lily asked.

"Well, first, a voice found its way into my head...."

~*~

"_Listen to your heart and follow your instincts."_

Who's there?

"_You know what to do, Nick."_

Dad...?

"_You can do it."_

I'll make you proud.

The van suddenly jerked to the right as we got onto an exit. We then came to a traffic light and waited. I pulled out my knife and started towards the front of the van.

Before they could blink, I stabbed the one in the driver's seat first at the throat. Blood shot forward and splattered the windshield. The other man was too shocked to move, so I took the opportunity and hit him in the stomach. Blood rushed out, staining his shirt, and both men fell forward, unconscious.

I put the knife back quickly and jumped out the side door into the rain. I dropped and rolled downhill a few feet through the mud. I fell through bushes filled with thorns and hit rocks all the way down until I finally hit a tree at the bottom. I laid there gasping for a few seconds, catching my breath. I squinted through the pouring rain, looking up at the road above on the hill. The light had turned green, and I faintly heard horns. I heard yelling and to my horror, I heard men rushing down the hill. They stopped and fired a few gunshots, one of them barely brushing my head. I didn't scream, but I fell over and just laid there.

"I'll get you Mente!" said the voice of the leader. "I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!" Another gunshot.

I waited there for a few minutes before finally getting up. I trekked through the woods for an hour or so until I came to a familiar place. The woods started to thin out and I realized I was home. I went to the front door and rang the bell.

When I felt him around me, I cried, knowing I was going to be okay.

~*~

"And that's what happened." I took a deep breath.

"You are...." Cody started.

"Crazy?" I asked.

He threw himself around me again.

"Amazing...." I held him close to me, just grateful to have him by my side, as always.

"So... He spoke to you?" Mei asked, astounded.

"Yeah. And just now, too."

"But why now?" Zuko asked himself.

"I don't know," I said. "But if you ask me, things are getting way too out of hand."

"I agree. We need to be on guard now more than ever."

"Maybe it's time we told the police," Lily suggested.

"It's nothing they could handle. This is an other-worldly war waging right now," I told her.

"I think it's time we all go on a little field trip," Zuko began.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I think it's high-time we visit my uncle."

"Wait.... We're going to your world?!" Cody screamed. "That impossible!"

Zuko and I just stared at him for a minute.

"Okay, maybe not impossible...."

"I just don't know how to we can get everyone there," Zuko said.

"Neither do I," I said. "Until we can figure out a way, we need to partner up. Zuko and I'll be together, Cody, you go with Mike, and Mei and Lily, you guys will be together. You have to stay as close together as possible for awhile. Go to each other's houses, hang out whenever possible, whatever it is you have to do to stay together more than usual."

"It will be a lot safer this way," Zuko continued. "And if something happens, someone else will be there to help."

"I won't let anything happen to anyone like that again."


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Reflection

All of us were now pulling into the driveway. Everyone got out, and Mike was about to leave with Cody when he stopped.

"Lily. Can I talk to you?"

"Sure Mike! What is it?" He pulled Lily over to behind the truck, but Mei, Cody, Nick and I listened in on the conversation inside the car, our ears pressed against the door.

"I... I was really worried about you today. I was afraid something was going to happen to you."

"Aww, Mike! I'm okay though! It's fine!"

"It's just... I was afraid of something happening though." Lily paused for a minute. Then Mike spoke up again. "I just didn't want anything to happen to you."

Silence dawned on them for a minute before we saw a quiet kiss on the cheek, from Lily to Mike.

"Thank you." Mike was stunned into silence. They didn't speak for a few seconds, and then Mike looked up at the car window. We all ducked.

"You think he saw us?"

Zuko's words were barely out of his mouth when the car door suddenly opened and Zuko followed by Mei on top of him fell out onto the grass. Then I fell out, hitting solid pavement, head-first, followed by a loud, "AAAAAAAHHHHH!" along with Cody on my face.

"Look, I know we're close and everything now, but can you please get your ass out of my face?" I attempted to yell, but my voice came out muffled.

"Oh jeeze! I'm sorry!"

"Just get off me!" I said, taking him by the waist and throwing him halfway across the front lawn. I rubbed my head and brushed the blood (from the fall) out of my hair.

"Nick, I'm-"

"Just pretend this never happened and we'll be even. Agreed?"

"Gladly."

"HA HA!" Mei said, pointing at us. "Lovebird Losers!"

"Hey!" I said, starting to walk over to her. Then I felt someone grab my wrist and I whirled around, then realizing it was Cody.

"Wait a second. You'll love this." He turned back to Mei, still on the ground with Zuko. "I wouldn't be talking if I were you."

"Why?"

"Take a look at yourself."

Mei slowly looked down at Zuko on the ground underneath her, and looked at his face, which was smiling, but then she looked down further toward his chest...then his stomach...and her hand was...

She froze and her eyes grew wide, staring at Zuko in embarrassment. Yet, she made no indication of getting up.

"HA HA HA! In your face, Mei!" Cody said.

"Who are the Lovebirds now?" I said. Cody and I high-fived, but our hands lingered on each other's for a few moments too long before we turned away and I blushed.

"Still you," Zuko pointed out.

"Aww!" Mei said to Lily. "That was so cute!" Mei said from her position on the ground with Zuko.

"Way to go, dude," I told Mike.

"You guys are so cute together!" Mei jeered.

Lily and Mike didn't say anything for second. Then Lily said, "Yeah!" and started laughing.

"Mei, get up already!" I said, laughing.

"Why should I?" She paused and looked at Zuko.

"Um... Look where you're hand still is."

"I know."

"Ew."

"_Thank you, Katara."_

"_I think I'm the one who should be thanking you."_

I wonder how Katara is doing now.

I'm sitting here staring out my window, watching the rain fall. I gave up my life that day to save Katara. I realize now that I didn't do it to show that I could take Azula's blow. I truly did it because I wanted to show Katara that I was a good person and that I would give up my life for her. She was a challenge in my life...a problem I wanted to solve. I wanted to prove to her that I could be a good person inside. And then she saved me and trusted me at last.

Nick brings back all the memories of Katara I shared.

They have the same pure blue eyes. They glow and sparkle with every emotion she has. And Nick shares Katara's determination and kindness. When Nick gave herself up for Cody... it reminded me of when I gave myself up for Katara. Funny, I thought she was more like Katara than she is like me.

I wouldn't wish my life on anyone.

Especially not Nick.

"Zuko...?" I turned around to see Nick standing in the doorway. She had her arms folded awkwardly and one leg crossed over the other, leaning against the door. "Can we...talk?"

I patted the bed and sat down. She walked over slowly and sat next to me. She yawned and closed her eyes for a second.

"Tired?"

"Just a little." I put my arms around her and let her rest her hand on my shoulder. I rubbed my hand gently on her back, soothing her.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah. It's about today at the beach."

"I figured that."

"My dad... He told me that you and I are meant to be the leaders of the White Lotus. We're meant to guide each other through everything."

"My uncle told me that I was destined for great things. I never thought he meant this."

"Obviously we're connected in some way, huh?" she asked, yawning.

"Yeah. Maybe... I don't know."

"What?"

"Well... Is it possible that since we're from different worlds that we could have the same...Aura?" The second the word escaped my mouth, I felt a quick but gentle, warm rush of calming energy serge through me, as if I had just stepped into a hot spring.

"Did you feel that too?" we asked each other simultaneously.

"I guess that's what it is then, huh?" Nick asked me with a smile.

"That explains a lot."

We laughed for a minute before her laugh was interrupted by a long, drawn-out yawn.

"You need to get to bed," I told her. "You're exhausted."

"Yeah... Oh well," she said with a chuckle. I gazed out the window, and we paused for a minute, looking at the falling rain. Nick broke the silence. "Isn't it amazing how it's only been about a week and we're so close? And you and Mei, too. You should ask her out."

"You think so? Does she even like me back that much?"

"Trust me. She likes you," she said, smirking. "After you go to bed at night, I IM her, and she can't stop talking about you. It's Zuko this, and Zuko that, and 'Oh my God,'" she said in a great imitation of Mei, "'Can you believe how hot he looked today?' and 'Oh my God! We almost kissed at the dance!' Cue screeching noises."

"Wow. I didn't know she liked me that much."

"She's dying for you to just be boyfriend/girlfriend already, you know."

"I'd love to ask her out. But..." I stopped and looked down.

"But what? You think she deserves better than you?" I felt a slight jolt in my stomach when she said my exact thoughts. "Or do you think that because you killed your own sister that you're afraid you'll hurt her too?" Another slight jolt. "Or, my personal favorite, you're afraid that when you go back..._home_," she said the word with distaste in her tone, "you'll never be able to see each other again, and you say that you don't want to hurt her, but really you don't think you can handle another loss?" Another, much more powerful, jolt to my stomach.

"And you're right. Which is why I can't ask her out."

"But Zuko, you and I know more than anyone else that you only live once." She paused for a minute as we both took that in. "And if we only live once, why shouldn't we enjoy it? Go out with her and have some fun. Give her and yourself the opportunity that would normally be physically impossible."

"But I can't do any of that to her. I can't hurt her...or myself."

"But nothing will happen! You're here now and that's all that matters, isn't it?" She was becoming slightly off-key now. "Just go for it!"

"But I'll have to leave, eventually and-"

"Just stop!" she yelled at me, standing up. "You're not leaving, so you can't hurt her anyway!"

I stood up too. "But what about when we find a way to get back? What then, Nick? What then?"

"You make the choice! You make the choice to stay with us, Zuko!"

"But Nick, I have a family. I have my mom and my uncle. I'm not going to leave them behind!"

"Zuko, I know you've only been with us for a short time, but can't you see how close we've become? And what about the others too? Don't you love us?"

"Of course I do! But I love my family too! And I can't just let them go!"

"Zuko... You never let go! You always have to hold onto everything! You needed your honor back, you hated Zhao for taking Aang from you, and you hated Azula for killing Mai! You didn't let any of that go, either! You need to learn to heal, Zuko!"

"I just can't! They're the only ones who have cared about me and gave everything just to save me! They're my family, and I love them too! Family comes first for me now...for the first time in my life! Can't _you_ just let me _go_?"

"But..." She stopped yelling and turned away. I watched as she brushed her face with the back of her hand. "I just..."

"You just what, Nick? You just what?"

Tears poured down her face. "I just thought _you_ were my family! I just thought_ I_ was _your_ family!" She cleared the tears away from her face, and ran out of the room. I paused for a second to think about what she'd just said.

I ran after her.

"Nick, wait! You-" But before I could finish, her door slammed shut and locked. I heard her crying in her bed from outside her door. This was followed by a loud bang, which I knew to be the sound of a wall breaking.

"Nick, please listen to me! I'm so sorry! You're right! You are my family! You're my sister! Please let me apologize!" I waited for a minute because knowing her, she would have opened the door and hugged me, but silence reined the air.

"Nick, please... You know I love you..." I waited again, but nothing happened. "Nick?" I knocked a few times, but there was no response. I took out a bobby pin I'd kept in my pocket, just in case of a lock, and I used it to pick her door's lock. When I heard a clean, "click!" I paused. "Nick, I'm coming in."

I slowly creaked the door open. "Nick...?" But what I found...surprised me.

Her closet door was open slightly, with the light turned off. "Nick...?" I crept inside the door, and turned on the light. "Nick, please come out." I looked around, but there was still no sign of her. I saw that her rack of clothes were pushed aside to reveal small door, about half the height of a normal one. I'd never noticed it until now. I ducked down inside the door.

The door led to a large attic with a six foot ceiling. It was entirely made of wood and dark and musky. It was about the size of her room, my room, and Cleo's room combined. I assumed that this was a place she came to think a lot because all of the storage bins were pushed out of the way. Some were arranged in different ways, too. Some made a chair and desk, and some had some knick-knacks on them. I wasn't surprised. Nick seemed creative enough for something like this.

I followed the long line of bins to the back of the attic, where I saw a small opening in the floor. When the house was built, it was probably supposed to be covered but never was. The hole was just big enough to fit a small person, and when I looked down, I noticed a ladder leading to the ground.

And a small piece of Nick's hair was caught on the ladder from when she climbed down...blowing in the wind.


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Caring

I ran into the night through the pouring rain. As I ran, I pulled on the sweatshirt I had grabbed on my way out. Not once did I dare go into the street for two reasons. A: I would be seen easier, if by chance, Zuko came after me. B: Cars wouldn't see me from how hard the rain was falling. Therefore, I decided the best way to go was running across front lawns the whole way.

I pulled up the hood and zipped it as close to my neck as I could. I ran and ran, never running out of breath. But where was I to go?

The rain started to mingle with the tears that had fallen on my face. I wanted so bad to just run home or go someplace out of the way to just cry. But now I knew that wasn't an option. I had already left, and I wasn't going back.

To make matters worse, the weather of the area has been so out-of-whack lately that what was supposed to be spring-time showers turned into autumn temperatures with a down-pour. The wind was strong, and I felt my nose start to sting as I ran.

I hated this.

I hated Zuko.

I hated myself...though, as I always do.

I finally passed down a few blocks and made my way towards Mei's house. I knew she would probably not give a shit if I was upset, but she would be caring enough to comfort me, at least.

I got to her house in about five minutes time, and rather than go right in the front door, I didn't want to wake her parents or anyone else, so I decided I would try to get to her bedroom window.

Mind you...it's on the second floor.

The tree next to her house, however, was a big help. I jumped on the railing of the front porch and threw myself head-first into the tree. I managed to grab what I thought was only the first branch, but I soon realized there was one just below me, so I let go and balanced myself on the branch. I almost slipped, but I used the branch above me to balance myself again.

I jumped up, this time, grabbing the tree trunk, and boosted myself up to the second branch. At this height, I knew that if I fell, I'd break a leg in the literal sense of the term.

I looked up and saw that the ledge in front of her window was just above me. I jumped up, and grabbed onto it, only to have one hand slip. I used all the strength I had left and grabbed back onto it. I pulled myself up and leaned against the side of the house. I peered in the window between the part in her curtains, only to see, and hear, a screaming fight going on.

"But mom, it's not fair!" Mei said.

"Yes, it is! That boy is way too old for you!" her mom said.

"But we're in the same grade!" she lied, smoothly.

"It doesn't matter! I don't want you seeing him anymore!"

"We're not even together though!"

"It doesn't matter! Something will end up happening, and I don't like it!"

"What mom? What do you think will happen? He'll ask me out? Or, even worse, kiss me?" she said in a sarcastic panic.

"That's why you're not allowed to hang out with him or any of your friends anymore. I've had it!"

"But mom-"

"It doesn't matter! What I say goes! No more arguments." I heard footsteps walking away.

"And what if I don't care what you say anymore?"

"Then you're grounded until you move out!" A door slammed in the background.

Being that her bed is up against the window, I heard Mei throw herself onto it, followed by quiet sobs. I knew this wouldn't be the best time to bother her, so I jumped back onto the tree and to the ground.

They have fights like this all the time. Most of the time, even in front of me and the others. And most of the time, it involved her dad and sometimes even her brother. I felt so bad for her, and right now, I wanted nothing more than to open the window and sit next to her, so we could cry together. But we were crying for opposite reasons, and if her mom caught sight of me, I'd only make matters worse.

I stood up on the front lawn of her house, brushed away the tears and started into the night again. If was even possible, the rain was pouring down even harder than before. I was soaked to the bone at this point, and I was colder than I'd ever been before.

I tried to keep running, but I could barely move. I felt the frost bite start to settle into my face, fingers and toes. I walked and walked, consciously unaware of where I was headed. When I stopped, I looked up and saw Cody's house. His bedroom light, as well as the rest of the house was dark, except for a small lamp in the living room.

With the little strength I had left, I picked up a rock and chucked it as hard as I could muster at his window. It missed by a few feet and only hit the roof. I tried again, feeling my strength leaving me. This one hit just below his window, making a low thud. I picked up the last rock, out of breath, and threw it. I didn't even hear where it landed because just as I threw it, I collapsed onto the concrete, hard. I hit it head-first and I felt the blood start to seep from my head. My vision started to blur, and the world started spinning around me. I closed my eyes, and hoped that the endless sleep would come quickly.

_..._

I quickly ran back into her room and looked briefly for her cell phone. I was dismayed when I saw it sitting right on the bed.

I picked it up and decided to call Mei. She picked up and the third ring.

"Hello...?" she said, groggily.

"Mei, it's Zuko. Nick's gone!"

"She's what?" said she, wide awake now.

"Gone! We got into an argument about ten minutes ago, and she took off. I have no idea where she could be. What do I do? This is all my fault!" I said, panicking now. "What if something happens to her? It'll be because of me! I'm such an idiot!" I said, slamming my head against the wall.

"Zuko, stop! Look, you need to calm down! We'll find her. And she's a smart girl. She'll either come back, or refuge somewhere. We just need to know where to look. Start calling the others. I'll head out."

"Okay. Keep your cell phone on you to keep in touch."

"I will. And Zuko...?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

"You too." Both of us hung up. I hit the speed dial button on her cell phone, but there was no answer. I decided the best idea was to run...fast.

_..._

A few minutes later, I arrived at Mike's place, and I peered into each window, trying to find which room was his. When I found it, I saw him sleeping with his mouth open, drooling all over his Wii remote, with the title screen for Brawl left on his T.V. I pounded hard on the glass, and I must have startled him because he jumped out of the bed quicker than I would've thought.

"What? Who's there?" he said, arming himself with the Wii remote, like it was a sword. I knocked again, and he jumped.

"Zuko?" He came over to the window and had to look at me hard to figure out who I was. I pulled back the hood of the black sweatshirt to reveal my face. He turned on the light and opened the window. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

"May I just point out that I'm not the one using a game controller as my first line of defense." He looked down and threw the remote to his bed. He muttered a curse at me. "Look, just shut up and get out here. Nick's gone."

"I didn't do anything to her!" I yelled. He just glared at me, arms folded, expression amused. "Wait... Scratch that. But it was an accident! We got into a fight!"

"You know how head-strong she is! Tell me you didn't think something like this would happen."

"Okay... I wasn't thinking though. Look, we just need to get her back." He just stood there glaring at me. "Are you coming or what?"

"I'm not going anywhere because I know exactly what will happen."

"What?"

"Well, if you got into a fight, her initial reaction would be to go to Mei's place, but being that you and her are lovebirds, she'll have to go somewhere else. Try Lily's place," he said, shutting the window.

"Wait! How do you know all of this?"

He opened the window again and looked at me as if I was the dumbest child to walk the Earth.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"No."

"I may not show it, but unlike _you,_"he said, wrinkling his nose, "I care." After that, he slammed the window shut without another word.

"I DO SO CARE! I CARE MORE ABOUT HER THAN ANY OF YOU!" Mike didn't even look back at me. Rather, he turned off the light, the game, and got back in bed.

"I'll show you I care! I'll show all of you! I'll find her!"

I took off running toward Lily's place.

_..._

I woke up the next morning, feeling my head spinning.

I looked around the room and saw hot pink on the walls and green rug on the floor. I tried to sit up, but I couldn't move.

"Lay back down," a soft voice said to me. Willingly, I obeyed, even though it took me a minute to recognize the voice.

"Lily...?" I asked. She smiled at me. "What happened?"

"Last night, you threw a rock at my window and woke me up. I looked out my window and saw you, standing on my mom's car, trying to get my attention. You told me to come outside, but when I did, you were out-cold in the driveway. You must've slipped and fell. I screamed for my mom and dad, and they both came outside and brought you in. I slept on the couch last night and you stayed here, in my room."

"What time is it?"

"Around five."

"In the morning?"

"Night."

"Oh man!" I said, sitting up. "Have you found Nick yet?"

"What are talking about?"

"Nick disappeared last night! I was out looking for her! That's why I came to you."

"Hang on. Let me make a phone call." She took out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Hi, it's Lily." There was a slight pause. "Okay, thank goodness." Relief swept over me, and I fell back onto the bed, covering my face, and thanking the world. "We'll be there in a few minutes. Bye!" She hung up.

"Where is she?"

"Home, thankfully."

"We got into a huge fight last night. The last I saw her, she thought I didn't care about her. I stopped by Mike's place too, and he said that exact same thing."

"Well he's right," she said. Her answer caught me off-guard. "A real friend would stop before she was pushed to that."

"You would know."

She stopped and turned away from me, putting down her cell phone.

"Yeah, I would. And I'm not making the same mistake I did once, again. And I won't let someone else do it either!"

"But I didn't mean to. We were fighting about how she saw me as family and I didn't know who my real family was at that point, and then I realized that she's my family! I'm so sorry." I stopped put my face in my hands. "I hate myself!" I yelled, standing up again. "Why is it that I can never do what's right? I'm always the bad guy even if I don't want to be!"

"Then you know what you need to do?"

"What?"

"Apologize!"

"What?"

"Apologize. You need to tell her you're sorry for what you did. You've learned to forgive and forget, you've learned to feel guilty, and you've learned to get angry at yourself. You may have said you're sorry to your uncle, but now you need to learn the meaning of it. You have to apologize to her, and tell her how you felt."

I stopped and thought about the truth of her words. "You're right."

"Then, here," she said, throwing clothes at me. "Put these on and let's go."

_..._

I woke up feeling relaxed and sore. I rubbed my eyes and stretched. When I looked around, someone was sitting on the couch.

"What are you doing here?" I screamed. "Wait... Last night... Did I die? Is this heaven?"

"Not quite." Cody stood up and walked over to the bed. "So..." he said, sarcastically.

"So..." I said right back to him. I pulled back the blanket and threw my legs over the side of the bed. I realized I was in dry clothes; a sweater and sweatpants.

"Well...?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"You always do," I said with a smile. I ushered for him to sit next to me. He did, happily and I leaned against him with him putting his arm around my shoulders. "Zuko and I had a fight last night.... He said that he didn't feel like we were close enough to be family. I just... I thought..." I stopped, wiping the tears away. I turned around and buried my face in Cody's shoulder.

"Aww, Nick. Don't cry. Be happy." After that, he just hugged me and let me get everything out. I cried hard and long. He didn't say one word the whole time, just letting me cry and cry. I completely lost track of time, but I didn't care. I was just happy that he was here to stay by my side as I drowned in my own thoughts.

After what felt too short to let go, I gently pulled away and wiped away the tears again. I was a mess, and he knew it but didn't say anything of it.

"You don't have to do this, you know," I said.

"I know. But I want to." I hugged him tighter.

"Just staying here with me means the world to me you know."

"I figured you'd say that. I'm just that awesome, aren't I?" I laughed and he did too.

"Yes, you are."

"Most people who've just been crying like that would hit me or hate me or something." He stopped and shook his head. "You know... It's times like these when I know how perfect we are for each other."

I froze.

I looked up at him and he was smiling, as always.

"I feel the _exact _same way."

"I know." And with that, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips ever so lightly against my left cheek. He held the position for a second and made a low noise as he pulled away, slowly. My mouth was gaping open as I stared at him utterly speechless. He just smirked at me. I must've stayed like that for a minute or two before finally attempting to speak.

"You just.... Did you...?"

"Yeah." I burst out laughing, and he did too.

"You're the most amazing person I've ever met, you know that?"

"Thank you, but you're amazingly awesome yourself." I blushed and hugged him.

"You're the best."

Just then, I heard footsteps pounding up the stairs.

In an instant, my bedroom door swung open.

"Nick!"

"Zuko! Lily!" I said standing up.

"You."

I turned and faced Cody who was just starting to get up off the bed. His expression surprised me. His eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes were squinted, and he was staring at Zuko.


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Forgiveness

"You." Cody stood up and glared at Zuko with an intense hatred in his eyes. I'd never seen him this angry before.

"Cody, it's alright. And Zuko, I get it. There's no need to explain, okay?"

"Yes there is! He almost got you killed! If I hadn't woken up, you would've ..." He paused, getting a hold of himself. "You would have died!" He clenched his hands into tight fists, making his knuckles turn white.

"Cody, please calm down!"

"No! I've had it!" Cody stormed up to Zuko and aimed a fist toward his face, but Zuko caught his fist in his hand. Cody went to punch him with the other hand, but Zuko caught that one too. Then I saw Zuko's hands start to turn red..._really_ red, followed closely by Cody's arm turning red as well.

"Stop it! Both of you!" I said, ripping Zuko's hands off Cody. "Both of you are being ridiculous!"

"But he hurt you!" Cody protested. "He deserves it!"

"That's not his fault though," I said, trying to reason. "It was my choice to go, not his."

"But he pushed you to do that! Just like Lily pushed you to cutting yourself!" Everyone froze then, as did I.

My dark past had been revealed.

"You what?" Zuko asked, his voice wary.

"It's over now, so there's nothing to worry about. I don't do it anymore."

"But you've thought about it." His comment took me by surprise.

"No, I'm done with that. And I'm not going back to it anymore."

"But you've considered it. I can tell by the way you hesitated just now."

"That's not true."

"Prove it."

"How?"

He crossed the room and grabbed my wrist tight in his hand and held it out to study. I wearily looked at the scars, thinking about the pain that I went through in that other life. They had never fully healed, and they shared the red-purple color of the scar on Zuko's face. He looked from me to the scars and back again.

"You're right," he said. "These scars are too old to be recent." He dropped my hand. And I rubbed my now-red wrist. "I'm sorry I accused you of that."

"No, I'm sorry...to you...and to Cody," I said, only glancing at him before looking away. I spoke facing the wall. "I have thought about doing it again, but I won't and I haven't. The pain just seems to be too much sometimes." I dropped my head and wiped a small tear away.

"It's alright," Cody said. He reached over to me and put his arm around my shoulders. He kissed me on the head. "It's alright."

"Thank you." I kissed him on the cheek and hugged him. He smiled when we pulled apart. I looked again to Zuko and I hugged him tightly. When I finished, I turned to Lily. "I-"

"You don't have to say anything," she said, holding up her hands. "I know what I did was wrong, and I've apologized to you, and I'm still sorry. Let's not get into it again."

"Agreed." I looked at my phone, realizing I'd slept through the entire morning. "I'm gonna call Mei and Mike. We might as well have them over too."

"Okay." Zuko and Lily left the room. Cody stayed behind. His eyes met mine and he just stared at me for a minute. The way he tilted his head slightly and the thin line his mouth formed told me that he wanted something more from me.

"Yeah, Cody?" He didn't respond for a minute, and I realized that his eyes were glistening slightly. "Look, I'm sorry for getting so mad at you, but one of you could have hurt the other!"

"I know... I'm sorry." His words were mumbled slightly, and I could tell he was slightly choked up.

"And I forgive you," I assured him, smiling. He smiled back, and I held out my arms for a hug. He smiled wider and hugged me tightly.

"Do you forgive me?"

He pulled away and stared at me for a moment, blankly. "What?"

"Do you forgive me?"

"What for?"

I shook my head. "For everything. For ignoring your feelings, for misleading you, for ignoring my own feelings, for lying to you, for doing this to myself... Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you even like me?"

"Huh?" He seemed stunned by the obviousness of the question.

"Why do you like me?"

"You're..." He seemed at a loss for words, so he stopped and thought. I raised an eyebrow.

"See? You can't even come up with a reason." I shook my head and mentally beat myself up as I always did when I felt guilty.

"You."

I stopped scolding myself and stared at him.

"I like you...because you're _you._"

I froze..._again._

I looked him in the eyes."You what?"

"I like you because you're you. I have for a year now. Did it hurt when you did that to me? Yeah, I'll admit it did." A mental knife pierced at my stomach. I wanted to kill myself. For a second, I found my shoe size more interesting than what he was saying. He paused and said my name. "Nick." I looked up at him again, and he didn't have pain...sorrow...or aggravation in his eyes. He had warm, loving care. "Now do me a favor and stop scolding yourself because being with me now... Not a thing you did even matters to me anymore. I like you for you and that's all that matters to me."

At that, I lunged at him, nearly knocking him over, and hugged him tighter than I've hugged anyone in my life. I kissed him on the cheek between hugs. He kissed me on the cheeks and ears as well in a cute sort of way. I laughed and kissed him again on the right cheek after a long hug, and held it there for a minute. He stopped and just let me stay there for a minute, enjoying the moment. I gently pulled away and he kissed me on the ear again.

"You have horrible aim."

"I know." We both laughed and I shook my head, playfully.

"I'm gonna call Mike and Mei now."

"Okay." He didn't bother leaving the room and instead sat on the couch.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mike, it's Nick."

"Hey."

"Tired?"

"Very. Oh! I remember now! You disappeared last night!"

"Yeah..."

"Nice going."

"Thanks so much, Mike."

"So what's up?"

"Wanna come over? The others are already here."

"Sure. I'll just get my mom to drive me."

"Okay. Later."

"Later."

"Hello?"

"Hey Mei, it's Nick."

"Oh... Hey."

"I wanted to know if you wanted to come over...and of course so does _Ash_."

"I can't." I waited for her to elaborate, but she said nothing.

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

"Is there something wrong?" I asked knowing the answer.

"I hate my mom. I hate her."

"Why?"

"She said that she doesn't want me hanging out with you guys anymore. She doesn't like me being around _Ash_ so much" – we decided using that would be less weird in the event someone listened in on the conversation – "so she doesn't want me hanging out with you anymore. On top of that, she hated how I got hurt and she thought I was lying when I said I fell. I'm sorry, Nick."

"Well she can't help what you do in school, now can she? And I'm your best friend, and he's your...um..._crush_, so you have every right to see us!"

"Yeah, but I can't hang out outside of school anymore though."

"And that's okay. I have a solution. Don't you worry about a thing; I've got this."

"What are you planning to do?"

"You'll see."

"Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"You're awesome."

"I try." After that we both hung up.

"What's up with her?"

"When I was out last night, I heard her and her mom get into a huge argument about Zuko. It wasn't pretty."

"So I wasn't the first one you went to?" he asked, faking sadness.

"No. You weren't."

"Oh..." Then he laughed.

"You're an idiot."

"What else is new?"

"I have to talk to Zuko about something." I walked to his room and saw him and Lily playing Sorry. "Zuko, I have to talk to you about Mei."

"What's wrong?" he said, standing up. His voice was steady, but I could sense some panic.

"Everything's alright, but her and her mom got into a fight again. She's not allowed to hang out with us anymore."

"I have to talk to her," he said, walking toward the door. "I'll be back later." He ran down the stairs and was out the front door in a flash.

"He's gone!" Lily said after a minute of silence.

"That's what I was hoping for..."

_..._

I ran as fast as I could to Mei's house and made it there in record time. I was sweating like a pig by the time I got there because I was still wearing jeans on a warm spring afternoon. When I got there, no one was outside, and I thought that the best idea wouldn't be to just knock, so I climbed the tree on the side of the house, slipping a few times from the wet branches, but I was on the roof and crouching under her bedroom window in no time.

I peaked in and saw her watching House from her bed. I knocked on the window, and she jumped with a small yelp. She looked out the window and I put a finger to my lips to quiet her. Her eyes widened and she locked her door. She opened the window.

"What are doing here? Are you nuts?" she yelled at me.

"For you? Yes." She blushed and ushered for me to come in.

"Why are you here?" she asked again. I sat on the bed.

"Can't I come see you? I mean, I do like you...very much."

"You do?"

"Did you or did you not see me smiling yesterday?" She laughed. "See?"

"Yeah, I guess so..." She stopped and looked at me. "Well... I like you, too. I never thought from watching the show that I'd ever like your character, but you turned out alright." I laughed at her comment.

"I can imagine why you wouldn't like me."

"Yeah, but it's not your fault. You were just trying to please your dad because you thought it was the right thing to do, just like I think that way with my mom. But I'm not so sure anymore..."

I sighed. "It's tough. I don't know what it's like to have a non-power hungry parent or one that I have seen through my life, so it's hard for me to relate. But I do understand the fighting and misunderstanding." She laughed at my comment, but went into thought again.

"I hate it here. I really do. Sometimes I wish I could go live with my cousin in another state. I really hate my parents. When I get older, I'm moving out as soon as I can I never want to see them again after high school."

"That's normal for some, I would think. But do you really never want to see them again?"

"Yes. I really don't." She sat on the bed next to me. I put my arm around her. "This is why I really like you. You help me and understand me even when I least expect it. Nick does too, but she has her limitations. You on the other hand, don't care about anything."

"Nope. Not really."

"I like that."

"I like you." She looked up at me and we stared at each other for a moment.

"I like you too. You have no idea."

"Do you want to go out with me?"

Tears filled her eyes. "Yes! She threw herself on top of me and hugged me really tightly.

"Mei, you're crushing me," I muttered. She let go immediately.

"Sorry!"

"It's fine," I said, groaning slightly.

"No it's not! I hurt you!" She stopped and gasped. "Oh my God! I hurt the spot where Azula shot you!"

"Yup... That's the spot."

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine. Nothing to worry over."

"Yes it is!" she said standing up again. "Awww, Zuko... I saw what happened to you and Mai."

"What? How?"

"I had a dream about it. Remember when we were attacked here?"

"Of course I do. That's when I realized how strong my feelings were for you."

She blushed for an instant, but continued. "When I was out, I dreamt about it exactly as Nick described it to me because you told her, so she told me. And then I lived it through the dream. It was horrible. I watched as she shot you...then Mai..." She stopped and looked at my expression to see if I was alright. "I watched as you buried her, and when you tried to kill yourself, I jumped in after you. And I grabbed you, and held you. Then we drowned... _together_." By the time she finished, she had tears in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.

I said nothing. I was rendered utterly speechless.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"It's alright. I'm fine now, aren't I?"

"How did you not die?"

Something clicked in both of our minds simultaneously.

"You don't think...?"

"That you're in your world's version of heaven? It's possible."

"It can't be heaven."

"W-" But I cut her off as I stood up and pulled her close to me. I looked into her eyes and she understood what was being said without actually saying it.

"It couldn't be heaven without this."

I didn't hesitate for a second as I put my hands around her waist and her body closer to my own. I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent. When I opened them again, our eyes locked, and tears were in hers as they were in mine. We were inches apart, but one last gap had to be closed.

"I love you."

The tears that threatened to escape her rolled down the sides of her face.

"I love you, too."

I closed the gap between us and our lips met, softly and slowly at first. The coolness of her breath on mine was like the first snow of winter. The way we moved in sync with each other was..._perfect._ There was no other way to describe it. We were made for each other. And whatever sick, twisted thing it was that separated our worlds had vanished completely in that one moment. And we both knew we were meant to be together.

She twirled her fingers in my hair and I held her close, pressing her against my body. She pressed harder, and in automatic response, I did as well. We were close enough to feel the literal heat as our souls melted into one together. In the process, I felt every pain, every flaw, and every mistake burn away from us. It was the single most important moment of my life, knowing that we were together and we loved each other. And I never wanted it to end.

In her, she took away every mistake I made.

Destroying the Southern Water Tribe a second time...

_Gone._

Burning down Suki's village...

_Gone._

Using Katara's necklace to hunt down Aang...

_Gone._

Hunting down Aang for years to just _kill_...

_Gone._

Betraying my uncle...

_Gone._

Not being able to save Mai...

_Gone._

Hurting Nick...

_Gone._

Not being with Mei from my own pain...

_Gone._

Mei took it all away. She took away the pain, the guilt, the sorrow... All of it. But it wasn't just gone...

She made me learn to forgive myself. I forgave all of it. Every wrong and every suffering... I had finally learned to forgive and forget because of her.

And I love her.

I always will.

Forever.

_**So how did you like that? You all knew that these sweet, sensitive moments were on their way. But did you expect that from Nick? Some, maybe. Others, probably not. I had to fix some things in Chapter Fifteen: Reflection due to an interview with the girl who inspired the character Mei. Her version of what would've went on after the beach was pretty funny, so I decided that the change was necessary. I hope you guys like it! **_

_**And I need some reviews on the new chapters, so I won't be posting until someone puts a review. Constructive criticism is always helpful; however, any plot ideas will be politely declined due to the future ideas I have for the story line. If you guys want to PM me, that would be highly appreciated, and if you want to PM Mei, the pen-name she goes by is IrmaLair223. **_

_**It would also be highly appreciated if you check out my other stories such as Metamorphosis and Roses. Another one is soon to come, but it's a one-shot Danny Phantom. I should be able to post another chapter within the next two to three weeks, so stay tuned! And thank you to everyone who reads the story and has supported me along the way! You guys are awesome! :D**_


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Dive

"Hey, where's Zuko?" Mike asked me. He was just walking in the door a few minutes after Zuko had left.

"He went to ask out Mei."

"About time, too."

"Lily and Cody are out back. Come on." I led Mike to the backyard. The pool was open as it had been a short while ago when I'd first found Zuko. I told Cody and Lily to wait in the tree house, so Mike and I climbed up. The two were talking about Mei when we came in.

"It's about time!" Mike said, referring back to Zuko.

"Yeah, I know right!" Cody said.

"You're one to talk."

"Why?"

"It took you...one, two..." Mike pretended to count on his fingers. "Three...four...thirteen months to ask Nick out for crying out loud!"

"Well that's not my fault. She had a boyfriend."

"And then she broke up with him!"

"And then she had another one."

"And that lasted how long?"

Cody hesitated. "A month."

"And why didn't you ask her out in the, let's see..." He counted on his fingers again. "Two, three... Three months she was single?"

"I...didn't know if she liked me back... And she told me we were better off friends, anyway."

"And later you find out she only did that to save the friendship."

Cody paused. "I know... But you're one to talk too! You don't even talk to Lily!"

"I...yeah." Mike turned to face Lily. "Hi."

"Hi, Mike!" she said, cheery as always.

"Yeah... Real communication skills," I commented rolling my eyes.

_Breathe your life into me!_

_I can't feel you!_

_I'm falling...!_

_Falling, faster!_

"Hello?"

"Hey, Nick, it's Ash."

"Hey! Wait, where are you calling from?"

"I'm at Mei's house. But there's a problem."

"Of course."

"This is serious!"

"You don't think I know that by now? What's the sitch?"

"It's not about me this time."

"Then who-?"

"It's my uncle." I dropped my cell phone to the floor of the treehouse.

"Nick, are you okay?" Lily asked me.

"I...I..." I couldn't find my voice.

"Hello?" Cody picked up the phone and put it on speaker."Ash, you there?"

"Yeah, is Nick okay?"

"She's...alright. Just shocked, maybe...? What did you say?"

"It's Uncle. There's trouble in my world, and I need to get home."

"What? How the heck are we going to get there? Wait, how did he contact you?"

"I passed out. I had a dream that he needed me. But when I came to, I still heard his voice in my head, telling me he needed help at home."

"How are we going to get there?"

"I...have no idea." Cody slapped his forehead.

"Give me that! Ash, how can we get there?"

"My uncle only said lame metaphors I couldn't understand as always."

"What did he say?"

"He said, 'The messenger hawk only returns to place from which it has come from.' That was it."

"Guys, I think I know how we're getting there! Ash, get Mei and meet us here."

"On my way." _Click!_

_..._

"Are you nuts? I can't leave!" Mei yelled at me. "My mom'll kill me!"

I pulled her close to me and kissed her hard on the lips. She didn't pull away, and after a good minute, I leaned back and said, "Come with me. Please. _I need you._" I could tell that the intensity of my words burned into her mind.

"Alright... But I can't promise you I'm coming home."

"You don't have to."

_..._

"We're here!" Zuko called to me. Him and Mei were running hand-in-hand into the backyard.

"'Bout time you guys hooked up," Mike stated.

"Mike!" Mei shrieked.

"I meant ended up together, you pervert!"

"Guys, shush!" I yelled. "I need to concentrate on how we're gonna do this..."

"So..." Mei said.

"So..." Cody said.

"So..." Lily said.

"So..." Zuko said.

"You guys kissed already, didn't you?" Mike asked.

"What?" Zuko and Mei shrieked together. "NO!" Mike eyed them. "Okay, okay...yeah."

"I knew it!"

"Okay, I know how we're gonna do this. Get into the pool area."

"Uh...why?" Mei asked.

"Just do it." All of us went up the stone steps to the pool area and stood together.

"Now what?" Mike asked.

"Everyone hold hands." All of us just stood there for a second. "NOW!" In a complicated cluster, all of us shifted around to be next to someone decent. I stood between Cody and Zuko, next to Cody was Mike, then Lily, Mei, and Zuko. We stood in a circle together. "Mike and Cody, you can let go. Make a straight line." They followed the instructions. "Now move to the edge of the deep end."

"Mei, you're hurting my hand!"

"Ah! Zuko you burnt me!"

"Nick, you're squeezing too hard..."

"Mike, you tripped me!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Damn it, Mike! You stepped on my foot!"

"Sorry again!"

Finally, we made it over to the pool.

"Well that was easy," I said, rolling my eyes. "Okay... On three, we're gonna jump."

"WHAT?" everyone yelled at me at once.

"This is how Zuko got here. This is how we'll get him back."

"Nick, we'll drown!" Mei yelled.

"It didn't happen before, now did it?" She didn't respond. "That's what I thought. Okay." I took a deep breath. "On two, take a deep breath. On three, we jump. Ready?"

"Not really..." Lily and Cody said together.

"Sucks for you, bitches!" said a voice from behind us. I turned around and saw Ray with Bri, Matt and Chad standing behind us. Ray had slightly darker hair than mine, covering his green-gray eyes wearing a black sweatshirt. Matt was all smiles with his hat and square-framed glasses, tall as ever...even taller than Mei and Zuko. He wore a plain T-shirt and jeans with sneakers. Chad's short brown hair was freshly cut, and he looked as if he finally decided to shave again. He was wearing a long-sleeved, collared shirt, as usual. And Brie was with them, her soft brown eyes glimmering, and her brown ribbons of hair bouncing around as she walked. Her outfit contrasted her face though, with a dark blue shirt and black shawl over it, followed by jeans and sneakers. I haven't really gotten to hang out with them since Zuko showed up, and it wasn't until then that I'd realized how much I missed them.

"Guys! What are you doing here! It's been so long!" I ran over and hugged Brie, gave Ray a high-five, and Matt a handshake.

"What? No love for Chad?"

"No."

"Aww..."

"I'm just kidding..." I went over and hugged him briefly before pulling away. "What are doing here anyway?"

"We figured that we should stop by," Ray replied.

"All of you together?"

"Trust me..." Brie said, putting a hand on my shoulder, "It was _not_ a normal walk here."

"I could imagine... But guys, this really isn't the best time-"

"Hey, who's this?" Matt asked. He was looking at Zuko.

"Oh! You guys haven't met! This is...Ash. Ash Kaen. He's my cousin from Japan. It's a long story."

"Nice to meet you, Ash," Matt said, holding out a hand.

"Nice to meet you." Matt looked briefly at Zuko and Mei holding hands, but they dropped them, quickly.

"Oh! I didn't tell you guys! Z- uh... Ash and I are dating!"

"Woo!" Brie cheered.

"It's about time you got a boyfriend, you pervert," Ray said. "Ash, don't let her take charge of you." Mei heard this and thumped his head. "Ow!"

"You deserved it," she said, smiling.

"Wow Mei," Chad said. "Somehow, I had a feeling you'd be like this when you got a boyfriend. Good luck to ya, Ash," he said with a salute. Mei went to hit him, but Zuko just put his arm around her.

"No, I think she's wonderful," Zuko said, staring into Mei's eyes. He kissed her lightly on the lips, and a chorus of "WOOO's" by Ray and Chad followed.

"Aww! That's sweet!" Brie said.

"But guys, I know you just got here, but there's something we need to do. You're...ugh...You're gonna have to go."

"But-but why?" Matt stuttered. "We just got here!"

"I know, but-"

"Hey," Ray said. "Nick, I've known you longer than any of these bitches, guys included."

"Hey!"

"Oh, shut up. Anyway, you're my little sister, and if you're doing something, I want in."

"I don't know..."

"We might as well let them in on it," Zuko reasoned.

"They all watch the show anyway," Mei said.

"Alright. I just... okay, fine." I turned to the four of them. "You guys know Avatar?"

"Duh!" Chad said. "Best show that ended ever!"

"Right," I said, laughing to myself. "Anyway...Ash...is not Ash. He's Zuko."

"No shit!" Ray replied.

"What? How did you know?" I asked.

"Uh... Who else would have an exact scar like that? And on top of that, I know that show, so you guys are so screwed."

"I guess that part was obvious... but he's a cartoon!"

"I'm just that weird."

"True."

"So...let's say we believed you..." Chad started.

"Which, I do!" Brie said. "That's so cool!"

"Thank you," Zuko replied.

"Anyway..." Matt started again. "If we believed you, then what does it have to do with anything?"

"Because we're about to go into his world," Mike stated. Matt froze, Brie smirked, Chad's jaw dropped, and Ray shrugged.

"I'm in."

"Fair enough," Mike said. "You guys coming? Or are you too scared to go into a world of hell-bend terror?"

"Actually, Mike, the war is over. Didn't you see the last episode?" I asked.

"Aww, crap! Is there anyone we'd be able to fight?"

"Who...or _what_ever my uncle is having trouble with," Zuko said.

"But..." Mei said. "Azula's dead. Who would be starting the trouble now?"

"I don't know, but whoever it, we'll take em," he said, cracking his fists.

"Let's kick some ass!" Brie said, fist raised. Everyone just stared at her for a minute. "What? This sounds like fun!"

"I've always wondered what it would be like jumping into a cartoon..." Matt said.

"And I love the show!" Chad said. "Screw it. I've got nothing better to do," he said, shrugging.

"But you guys have to understand how dangerous this is. All of you," I said, looking each of them in face. I lingered on Cody for a second too long, hoping he'd understand. "This isn't just some video game where you have multiple lives. If something goes wrong...it's real."

"I'm in," Ray said again.

"Let's do this!" Mike said.

"I've got your back, Nick," Matt said with a hand on my shoulder.

"You know I'm there if you and Zuko are," Mei said.

"I'm there if you are, Nick," Brie said.

"I'm with you," Cody said. He smiled meekly, but I knew he was willing to try. And once his mind was set, I knew there was no going back.

"Alright... Grab hands again." Same formation this time, only Ray took Cody's hand on the other side of him, Chad took Mike's hand, followed by Matt taking Ray's hand, and Brie squeezing between Lily and Mei. "Alright. On two, take a breath. On three, we jump."

"Into the water?" Matt shrieked.

"No. Into the stone around the edge of the pool. On three.

"One...

"Two...

"Three."

The first thing I felt was warm water from the pool heater against my skin. But as we all sank to the bottom with our combined weight, something changed.

In a second, everything turned black. The water disappeared and we all held hands, free-falling. All of us screamed together as we fell into darkness. But as soon as it started, it stopped, and we opened our eyes to see that we were face-down in sand. We stood up and dusted ourselves off.

"Everyone okay?" I asked, shaky.

"Yeah!" everyone said. I looked around and realized that we were missing someone.

"Where's Chad?"

"Oh come on!" I looked into the water to see that he was drenched. I laughed hysterically. "Hey! It's not funny!"

"Yeah it is! Mr. Clean Cut just got a taste of water rather than dry clean!" I fell over, gripping my sides, laughing uncontrollably. Everyone else couldn't stop laughing either.

"You guys really suck!"

"Whatever you say, Drenched Rat," Mike said. When we stopped laughing at him, we looked around.

"Zuko, what beach are we at?"

He looked out over the water. "Ember Island. The palace is over there." He pointed out into the distance on the water, and I saw a small speck.

"Anybody got a boat?" Cody asked.

"There should be one in the hut over here. This is my beach house."

"Then grab it so we can find your uncle."

"And find out what's going on."


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Now

For the next few hours, we collected all of the supplies we needed. Nick knew exactly what we needed: food, water, a boat, weapons, and various other things we'd need on the way. All of us worked hard to get everything ready, but some of us were a little uneasy.

Nick and I found the old warehouse in the back my beach house where the guards kept their weapons. We also went into the house and used whatever we could find.

For Nick, she picked out Mai's old shurikens. She polished them and practiced with them, throwing them at various trees and bushes for hours. She had also brought the knife I gave her at the dance. When I became Firelord and the war was over, I invited the little boy and his family to the palace, and he decided that it would be best for me to keep the knife, so I gave it to Nick.

I thankfully kept my duel swords at the beach house because I had no use for them anymore. Those, I gave to Cody, and I taught him all of the basic moves. He caught on pretty quickly, so him and Nick practiced their fighting together.

For Mike, I found two triple bladed daggers. Oddly enough, he wasn't lying about wanting to be a ninja or whatever. He knew how to use them pretty well before I even taught him, but after I gave him a few pointers, it was like he knew how to use them all his life.

Ray, Chad and Matt's were the easiest weapons to find. With only Ray knowing some animes, teaching them was not an easy task. For Ray, I found a small dagger, with a sharp edge and a spear with a steel blade attached at the head. After the war was over, the Dai Li of Bai Sing Sei were forced to open up Lake Laogi, once again to release everyone who was down there. I went there to find what was left of the place, but when I got there, it was closed off again. The Earth King then handed me two tiger head hooks. I recognized them immediately and held onto them for safe-keeping. I figured that these would be sufficient enough for Chad. Matt's weapons consisted of a belt carrying five small smoke bombs, three stink bombs, a small dagger, and a small dagger, just in case.

Lily and Brie's weaponry was a little more difficult. The three of us wore dark cloaks, and we went to the Ember Island Black Market together. I picked out a steel fan set for Lily, crafted from the Kyoshi Warriors after the war was over and shipped to the Fire Nation, and for Brie, I found a light-weight steel sword. It was crafted in an odd way, making the blade slightly curved, but it worked perfectly for Brie's style of fighting. I had to give them step by step instructions on how to fight. They did well enough, but I was a little worried about how Lily would make out.

Finally, I had to give Mei weapons, much to my dismay. She insisted on fighting, so I decided to give her something that would fit best. When I was on my own and without my uncle, my weapons consisted of more than just the duel swords. I kept a set of bows and arrows with me under my clothes, just in case. It was something I was given by my mother, long before I even knew what fighting was. She had used them herself when she was a young girl, due to having Avatar Roku for a father, he wanted her to be able to fend for herself, should the need arise. She wanted me to be able to defend myself in the time of war like my grandfather, so she passed them onto me. The bow was made of cherry blossom wood and the arrow feathers were that of a Raven Eagle. The head of the spear was silver, shining gloriously in the sun. Mei loved it, and so I taught her the art, myself.

When night fell, we decided to call it a day and wait until the following night, so we could plan our attack and get in some more practice. Nick and Brie shared one room, Lily and Mei were in another, Cody and I were in the third, Chad and Ray shared the fourth, and Mike and Matt shared the fifth.

We all rummaged through my old stuff and found suitable Fire Nation clothes for everyone. I lucky found my old outfit from the time I spent in the Western Air Temple with the rest of the group.

I woke up in the middle of the night and left the house. I looked up at the full moon in the nighttime sky and started toward the water. I sat down on a large rock that Nick had been practicing on and looked out over the water.

My home...my family...my throne... In just a short time, all of that was taken away from me..._again_. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, and I could even lose it all. I don't know what to do, how to protect the others, how to guild them safely through tomorrow. After everything that's happened, it could all come to a crashing halt. If something were to happen, I-

I suddenly stopped my thoughts dead. I heard something rustling in the bushed behind me.

"Who's there?" I called out, using fire-daggers. It felt good to firebend freely again.

No response came, so I called out louder this time. "I said, 'Who's there?'"

"Still the hot-tempered prince you were we met last time, are we? Such a shame." I figure stepped out from the bushes and slowly walked toward me, shaking his head.

"Who are you?"

"'Who are you?' No,sir. That is not the question you should ask. It is, 'who am I?'"

"Wait... Pathik?" I blinked twice and rubbed my eyes. As he came closer, his face shone with the light of the full moon. His beard had grown much longer since the last time I saw him, yet he was still the old guru I remembered. "What you doing here?" I asked. I ran up to him and hugged him. At first, his body was rigid in shock, but he quickly returned the embrace.

"Ah. I see that you have indeed grown up since the last time we saw each other."

"Yes, sir. I believe that I have."

"You've journeyed far beyond this world now, haven't you?"

"You can sense the change in me, can't you?"

"It is not about change, but it is about realized who you truly are."

"Thank you, Pathik. Although, I do have something to tell you. You remember the vision that you had about me when I first met you, don't you?"

"Indeed I do."

"It came true. It was exactly as you described, too."

"I had a feeling I'd be right, in the end." Pathik sat down in lotus position on the rock next to me. We sat there for a while in a comfortable silence.

"If you don't mind me asking, Sir, why are you here now?"

"I came here to warn you of the happenings of this world while you were gone." I nodded, urging him to continue. "After you left, the kingdom of the Fire Nation was left without a Firelord and Firelady. I am very sorry for your loss, your highness."

"Thank you. I'm alright now, though."

"As I knew you would be. However, when there wasn't anyone left to rule, your sister took the throne."

"WHAT?" I shouted, standing up. "How? She's...she's dead!"

"That is where you are wrong. Your sister did not die when you attacked her. She merely fainted but was left with something."

"Left with what?" I asked, hesitantly.

"A burn." He paused letting the thought sink in. "She took the throne by storm. And I am afraid to say that her rule has been worse than your father's."

"He may be my father, but he was never a dad." I thought about what Nick once told me about her dad and knew the truth of my words. "Wait. Where are my mother and uncle?"

"They haven't been seen since the day of the attack. No one knows for sure." He stopped, but when he saw my anxiety, he spoke again. "But I have seen them in a vision, and they are indeed well."

I breathed a heavy sigh.

"However," he continued, "Azula's first decree on the land...was to kill your father."

I thought about it for a minute. But in the end, I honestly didn't know how to react. I did know that however evil he was, Aang knew what was right in not killing him after all. Although as much as I hated him, it was still a human life taken away, and that took me by surprise.

"What else?"

"Your sister decided to hunt down every last one of the people in the Fire Nation that was part of the original rebellion that ended the war. The world has not gone to war yet, for it has been too short of a time for that; however, you must work quickly to prevent it because the pressures of war are indeed on the rise."

"What about the Avatar?"

"I am happy to say that he and his...um...girlfriend, sent word that they were on their way to the Fire Nation. But it is a long journey from here to the South Pole, and I am worried that the Avatar may be too late."

"So it's up to us now?"

"If that is what you truly believe."

"Thank you, Pathik. You've been a great help."

"It is my honor to assist the rightful ruler of the Fire Nation." He stood up with his walking stick and started down the beach. "And might I add... You have a wonderful young lady awaiting you." And with that, he continued down the beach, growing smaller and smaller. The wind picked up and I rubbed my eyes in response. When I looked back, he was gone.

I got up and started toward the house, feeling warm in my face. When I opened the front door, she was standing there.

"Zuko! I was just coming to look for you. I figured you'd be out here."

"Mei." I looked into her eyes and took her hand lightly in mine. I led her out onto the deck, and I looked up at the full moon. She followed my gaze and we stood there, watching it for a minute, hand in hand. Then I turned to her and she looked back at me. I took both of her hands in mine. "Mei," I repeated, "I need to tell you something. And I know you already know it, but... I love you. And if something happens to me tomorrow, I want you to know that I will always love you no matter what happens." I pulled her close to me and pressed my lips hard on hers. She kissed me back, wrapping her arms gently around my neck. I pulled back gently and held her hands.

"I have something for you." I reached into the sling of my robes and pulled out the bracelet I'd made for Mei while on the beach today. It was made of small conch shells all the way around, and for the main charm, I had taken sand and burned it into a small red crystal.

"Oh! Zuko! It's amazing!" She threw herself into my arms, hugging me. She pulled away and I took her wrist and tied it on. She held it up in the moonlight, admiring it. She kissed me again, more passionately, still. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Mei."

_..._

The next morning, I woke up a little late and stretched. I heard Cody yawn in the bed across the room.

"Morning, Cody. Sleep well?"

"As well as anyone knowing that they could possibly die today." I laughed a light chuckle.

"You eventually get used to it."

Both of us got up and got dressed. Cody wore the same outfit I did, the one from my days at the Western Air Temple. We walked into the maroon and wood themed beach-styled kitchen and saw everyone eating breakfast at the table. Mei was at the wood-burning stove cooking. I recognized the smell of cow hippo meat immediately. It was my favorite morning meat.

"Good morning," I said, kissing Mei on the cheek. She kissed me as well.

"Good morning!" She took the pan off the stole and led me to the table. She sat me at the head of everyone and put my food in a plate. "Nick! Is there something you'd like to say?"

"There sure is." Nick stood up, mango juice in hand. Everyone else raised their glassed as well. "Zuko, we'd just like the say some things to you before what may or may not happen today. Lily, you start."

"Oh! Okay! Zuko, you're crazy!" Everyone laughed. "You put yourself in danger for everyone at least once here, and you showed us what it really means to be a real friend. Thank you!"

"Mike..." Nick said.

"Dude, you're awesome! Even though it was yours and Nick's fault that those guys attacked us in the first place, you're freakin' awesome! You finally taught me how to fight like a ninja, and you finally gave Mei a boyfriend! Now we can't make fun of her anymore!" Everybody cracked up.

"Yup! He did!" and she ran over and kissed me on the lips.

"Anyway..." Nick continued. "Cody, it's your turn," she said, a smile on her face.

"Zuko, even though we started out with me being kinda jealous of you..." Everyone laughed at him. "I'd just like to say how grateful I am to have had you as a friend. You truly inspired all of us with how brave you were and how dedicated you were to all of us. You give a hell of a lot of great advice, and I'm grateful to say that I can call you my friend." He smiled at him and winked. Cody then nodded to Nick.

"Zuko... Oh boy." She shook her head in mock disappointment. "Let me sum you up. You're a lunatic that shot fire at my face when we first met, you come from a different world, yet you learned to fit in fine with everyone, you gave my best friend a reason to really love life again," Mei smiled at this, "you went above and beyond to save me and everyone else here, and you are the most amazing person I've ever met. And I love you, big brother." She teared up at the end and raised her glass. "To tomorrow being the greatest victory of the Firelord!"

"And to some ass-whooping!" Brie added.

"To ass-whooping!" everyone cheered. Everyone laughed and smiled together, knowing that this could be the last time.

Just then, there was knock at the door.

All of us froze in place, not saying a word. I looked first at Mei, then at Nick. I got up with Nick, the others following us to the door, and we crouched down together.

"On three," Nick said.

"One," Mei started.

"Two," I said.

"Three!" Cody shouted.

We flung open the door and all got into fighting stances. We were ready to attack when I heard the voice.

"Hi Firelord Zuko! It's so great to see you again!"

"Ty Lee?" I was shocked. I couldn't believe who I was seeing. There, standing in front of me, was Mai's best friend, in her braid, pink outfit, and all. "What...? What are you doing here?" I ran up to her, and she bowed to me, and I bowed back, then hugged her, lightly.

"I was traveling with the other Kyoshi Warriors to the old Earth Kingdom colonies to free them, but then when Azula came back to power, she other girls urged me to run. They knew she'd come for me, so I fled, and I've been traveling alone ever since."

"It's so great to see you, Ty Lee. Everyone, this is Ty Lee. She was a friend of mine and Mai's when we were kids and helped us with the rebellion."

"Hey, Ty Lee!" Nick said. She bowed to her. "Nice to meet you."

"You too! But Zuko, isn't it dangerous for you to all be here? And where were you when Azula took over?"

"It's a long story, but I'll explain later. But all of us formed a small rebellion against Azula while we wait for Avatar Aang to show up."

"Aang's coming?" Nick shouted at me. Everyone in the room started whispering and getting excited. "Is Katara coming too?"

"Yes. And Appa will be with them, as well."

"No way!"

"You're in my world now, so really you're the odd one out, Nick."

"True. Ty Lee, will you join us?"

"You bet!"

"Listen up everyone!" I called in my Firelord voice. Everyone stopped talking but Mike.

"We are so gonna whoop them, and-" Then he stopped when he saw my expression. "Sorry, Mr. Fireball."

"Anyway... I have an idea! To practice for this afternoon, we'll be holding a tournament! We'll each be partnered up against one person and you'll have to spare until one of you comes too close. You guys in?"

"Yeah!"

"Bring it on, Fuzzball!" Nick taunted to Mike.

"Oh I will."

_..._

Each of us was given a sword to use instead of the weapon given to us, in case during the real thing, you disarm a guard and take their sword. Of course, Zuko and I helped everyone learn first. The first round was Me vs. Ray, Brie vs. Cody, Mei , and Mike vs. Chad. Matt decided to stay out of it.

I won my fight against Ray in a pretty challenging battle. He was a little clumsy, so I took total advantage of it. Cody won his fight against Brie, using shear agility, though it was very close. Mei won over Lily in a land slide. The fight hardly lasted twenty seconds. Mike and Chad's fight was quite entertaining, as Mike kept taunting Chad, and teasing him about his clothes getting wet and him complaining about it the day before.

The second round was Mei vs. Me, and Mike vs. Cody.

Mei and I went head-to-head in a fast-paced duel. She used brute strength and heavily swung movements while I jabbed and flipped around her, dodging. In the end, I ended up rolling on the sand beneath her, and getting her pinned down from behind. Mike and Cody's fight lasted awhile, with Mike using carefully précised swings and Cody dodging evasively. In the end, Cody front rolled to the right, but couldn't get up quickly enough, and Mike got him down. Then it was time for the quarter finals.

Mike versus me.

"Fighters ready?" Zuko asked.

"Bring it," I said. Mike just cocked his head back.

"Begin!"

I had the first move planned before I even knew I'd be against him. I dove down and sliced at Mike's legs, taking one out from underneath him. I dove forward, being sure to not let him take me down with him. He stumbled back for a second long enough for me to dive forward again and take out the second leg. However, this time he jumped up and rolled forward, landing on his feet. As he drove his sword down at me, I lashed mine up, causing them the metal to clash, mid-air. I was on my back in the sand with Mike pushing down on my sword. I felt my arms crack, so I did the next best thing to fighting him off. I pushed my sword right, sideways, deflecting his to the left and jumped up behind him. When I thought he'd bent down to gain control of his sword again, he jabbed it straight up toward my face. It missed me by an inch, and I did a backhand spring to get away from it. But when I went to come up, I looked up right into Mike's upside down face, only an inch from mine, with the cold metal blade touching the edge of my throat.

"That's it!" Zuko called. "Mike wins!"

Mike and I were still in the same position. "Not bad, Mente," he said, taking the blade off my neck. I stood up straight again, and he held up his hand for a high five. "Not bad at all."

"Same to you, Fuzzball."

After that was over, all of us packed up and got on the boat with the supplies. We knew we could never be more ready, so we set sail for the main land.

"Ready to go home, Zuko?" I asked.

"No. I'm ready to fight."

_..._

**And there you have it. The next chapter is going to start when they're at the main land. Obviously, if you haven't already noticed, the three periods that I now use represent either a passage of time or a character perspective change. I originally use asterisks, but then I realized they weren't showing up on fanfiction. I'm sorry for the confusion in earlier chapters, but now I'll be separating it this way. Hopefully it'll be easier to understand.**

**Did any of you expect Ty Lee to show up? I didn't think so. :D**

**In the part with Zuko and Mei, he did not propose to her. This is just a boyfriend, girlfriend gift. *Cue "Awwww's!"* How sweet is that?**

**Pathik is the guru from the episodes "Crossroads of Destiny." If you want to learn more about his vision of Zuko and when they first met, you can find it in the new manga called, **_**M. Night Shyamalan The Last Airbender Prequel: Zuko's Story.**_** It's about what happened to Zuko in the time between an hour after he was burned by his own father to when he saw the light at the South Pole. I highly, **_**highly **_**recommend it. It explains so much, and it includes parts from the show of the flashbacks when he's on his quest to find the Avatar, like in "The Western Air Temple."**

**Tell me what you guys think in reviews, and as soon as that happens, I'll post the next chapter! :D**

**P.S; Next week, I'm going to reveal the meaning behind the names. But you'll have to wait awhile to understand the concept of the title if you haven't already. ;)**


	20. Chapter Twenty: Justice

The trip to the palace was...an interesting one.

"Hey Nick!" Cody said to me. The clothes I found for him were almost identical to Zuko's, the only difference was the size, being that it was from when Zuko was thirteen. Mine was the exact outfit Katara wore in her days in the Fire Nation, but I cut the outer skirt to be more flexible when fighting, making it a basic red mini skirt, so it only came to my mid-thigh and took away the ugly brownish one underneath. I also wore my red Converse. I ripped off the things hanging in the front of the skirt too. They annoyed me... We found all of the outfits the gang wore because they used the beach house as storage now.

"Look at what I found!" Cody then took out two small weapons that I recognized immediately at nun chucks.

"Oh lord... Are they extension ones?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'll show you." I took one of them from him, swung it over my head a few times and thrust it forward. The end of it extended out, (as I planned) and clocked Lily in the head.

"Ow! What was that?" Lily was wearing Toph's Fire Nation outfit. We got rid of the red and yellow sash, leaving a red tank top, and red gauchos. We got rid of the stupid brown belt, sash,thingy too.

"Oops," I said with a shrug. "That's the extension part."

"I see..."

"But if you wanna use em normally..." I took both handles and spun them around in small circles, going fast, making them look as if they were little circles in my hands.

"Sweet..."

"But now you have too many weapons to carry."

"I'll give the duel swords to Ray. He only had the spear and dagger anyway. Hey Ray!" Ray took his gaze away from the water as he paddled with Zuko, Mike, and Matt. He was wearing the outfit Chan wore in the episode "The Beach" when Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai, and Azula went to the party. He took one of Zuko's belts to close up the front however. He hated being in short sleeves and shorts to begin with. "You want these? I got nun chucks!"

"Sweet! Thanks, buddy!"

Cody then continued practicing with his nun chucks. I looked around the boat at the other happenings of the area.

Chad and Zuko had become much closer. Chad wore an outfit very similar to the one Avatar Roku wore as a teenager. How we found something like that, I'll never know.

Chad doesn't show it, but he's been through more problems than anyone I know. He's strong and kind-hearted. He's mad some bad choices in the past...just like Zuko. I really did see them becoming fast friends, so I wasn't surprised when I saw them talking things over.

I looked over to where Mike was sitting in the corner, sharpening his daggers. Matt went on and on about something or other, but Mike wasn't listening.

Mike wore his black T-shirt and black denim jeans, but over it, he wore Zuko's old red cloak. He said that was all he needed. Matt wore the school uniform and tied the belt around his head like Aang did as a small tribute. That was his wording, at least.

"Dude, I don't know what you're saying," Mike started, "but I am _never_ sharing a room with you again! Do you _ever_ stop talking? You wouldn't shut up last night!"

"Well, I, uh...have a lot to talk about I guess. I mean you didn't stop me so I kept going, and I," but I stopped listening there. Mike face-palmed, and I laughed at the sight.

Mei and Lily were on the other end of the boat talking with Ty Lee. I figured they were talking about their boyfriends or something. Come to think of it, does Ty lee have a boyfriend now? And who would it be, anyway?

Mei wore the outfit Suki wore in the Fire Nation. It fit her really well, only we ripped off the stupid collar, leaving a halter top.

I leaned back and let the water splash in my face. It felt good to be surrounded by it out on the ocean. I then opened my eyes and noticed Brie doing the same next to me. She was wearing an old thing of Mai's. It was similar to the way her usual outfit was, but I revamped it a little. I cut the neck so that it was parallel to the outer shirt, cut the sleeves so that they were skin-tight to her arms up to her mid forearm and ended, and then I ripped apart the bottom skirt to be much shorter and easier to fight in. She and I hate doing clothes and/or shopping, so this one outfit had to be perfect. So we worked on it together all morning.

"Hey, Brie?" She looked up at me lazily.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"You know what I'm thinking, right?"

"What are you thinking?"

I sigh and look away for a minute. "Something's gonna go wrong. Something's going to happen to one of us. I just don't know who."

"I know. But that's part of the risk coming here. I'm coming, but if some of the others are getting scared, it's not too late to turn around."

"If it was up to me, I'd leave all of you behind and do this myself."

"Well, we're here, so we may as well do this. Besides, I'm not letting you get all the action!"

I laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah, yeah..."

"It'll be okay."

I look around the boat for a minute. Matt, Ray, Chad, Mike, Lily, Mei, Ty Lee, Zuko, Cody...and of course Brie...any one of them are at an equal amount of risk. "Any one of them could be hurt...or not come home at all."

Brie sighed. "Try not to think about it too much."

"Nick, you're ridiculous." I recognized the snide comment immediately as Lily. "You're being so overly dramatic again. You're so annoying." She crawled over to us our side of the boat.

"Here we go again..." I said. This crap is what she did to me that pushed me over the edge. The truth is that when I found out about my dad...that his body turned to ashes in the fire, and there really wasn't anything left of him, I was miserable. It was like... It was like re-learning he died. But instead of helping me, Lily...my supposed friend, made fun of me. She said I was being so dramatic and depressed... Maybe I was depressed, but who wouldn't be? I couldn't help that, could I? Eventually I got her to stop with that, but she continues to say stuff about other things like this to me, even today.

"Well, it's true. You always want attention or something. It's not that big a deal."

"You don't get it, do you?" I snapped at her. She looked at me, surprised at first. "We're going to war! We're the rebellion! This is a fight to the finish!"

"There you go again. Right, Mei?" Mei crawled over.

"I..." My best friend, Mei looked at me and back to Lily. "Lily, she's right, you know."

I stopped dead.

She never stood up for anyone. She always tagged along with whatever one person said, no matter what it was. But this time, she stuck up for me. I knew she'd choose the right path one day.

By this point, all of the other conversations stopped, and everyone was listening in.

"She is," Brie said. Again, I was shocked. She really is an older sister to me. She's actually fifteen and in the ninth grade, but she's only my size. In things like this, she's usually a people-pleaser and stays out of it. "You need to get a reality check."

"See? So I'm not being overly dramatic." At all of this, she seemed to lose her nerve.

"Yeah, whatever, Nick."

"No! Not whatever! You need to knock off your stupid crap! I've had enough of it!" I yelled. I was ready for her to get what she deserved. "And I've had enough of you!"

"You know what Nick? You need to knock it off! You are so ridiculous! And you got everyone on your side. Oh wow. So amazing."

"Leave...her...alone." I looked past Lily, and there was Cody, staring at Lily. I almost cried. He _never _stood up for anyone. But this time...just like he said he would be...he was there for me. "We've all had enough of you. So just stop."

Lily looked around at everyone, and not a soul on that boat took her side. Mike looked away from her, not even wanting to meet her gaze. I smirked at the sight of it.

"Fine. But it only bothers you because you know it's true."

_Whack!_

Everyone stood frozen. Lily had a hand-shaped mark on her cheek. I looked over to see who did it, and it was none other than Zuko himself.

No one made any move to yell at him. Everyone stood frozen in their spots. Disbelief, fear, or something else was not to blame. It was that everyone knew she deserved it...

Even Mike.

Tears came into Lily's eyes. She started crying, but no one went to comfort her. No one felt bad for her. She had gotten what she deserved at last.

Lily crawled over to the corner of the boat and sat there, crying. Everyone just shook their heads and fell into quiet conversation; all of it obviously about her. Mike still made no move toward her.

"I'm sorry, I-" Zuko started, but I cut him off.

"If it wasn't you, it would've been me, anyway," I told him.

Cody crawled over to me and sat next to me, in silence. He knew how much pain Lily always caused me even though he usually stayed quiet during it all. We sat there for maybe ten seconds before I threw myself on top of him and hugged him. I kissed him on the cheek too.

"Thank you...thank you, so much!" I kissed Cody again. His face turned scarlet red.

"It had to be done," he said with a small shrug.

"That was...wow," Mei said to Zuko.

However, Zuko was in panic mode. "I can't believe I did that! I hit a girl! I should be in jail! Why did I do that? I have such a huge anger management problem! I hate myself! I should've let Nick take care of herself! God, I'm such a-" But just then, Mei cut him off with a kiss.

"You stuck up for her. Can you stop now?"

Red in the face, he responded with a meek, "Yes."

"Mei, can I interrupt for a second?" I said with a cough.

"Oh! Yeah... Nick, I'm sorry I never stuck up for you. You know you're my best friend, I just-"

I cut her off with a tight hug. "Save it. Thank you."

"Nick... You're crushing me..."

"Oh! Sorry!"

"I think that's how every good moment of ours works. It ends with one of us hurting the other."

"Something like that." I crawled over to Brie and hugged her. "Thank you." At first, she rejected the hug, being the way she is, but then she hugged me back.

"Anytime, Nick. I'll always be here helping you kick somebody's butt!"

I crawled over to Zuko and we shared a brief hug. I looked up at him and mouthed a "thank you".

"Wow, Nick," said Chad. "I _never _expected Lily to be that mean."

"That's exactly what she wants you to think." I looked over at her and she was just staring out into the water with her arms folded.

"We're here." I looked over at Ray and saw that his gaze was on the Great Gates of Azulon. They were huge brass statues, and thankfully, the nets were down. We would be at the gates in half a minute.

"Quick! Mike, throw me your cloak!" I said. He took it off and threw it to me, though now he had on everyday clothes, so he dove underneath a blanket we brought to keep from being seen. I threw the cloak to Zuko and he put it on immediately. We soon approached the gates and braced ourselves.

"Who comes to the Great Gates of Azulon?" asked a very broad guard at the right statue. Chad stood up, him fitting in the most with his hair and eye color being brown. Ty Lee would've been too obvious.

"We are here from the old Fire Nation colonies!" he called. "We are here to come home!"

The guard eyed us for a minute and we held our breaths. He looked Cody dead in the face.

"You there! Why do you look that way?"

Cody froze.

"He was sick, Sir!" Ray called. "He had a condition when he was a child that changed his general appearance, as well as some of the others.

He stared at Cody, hard.

"Very well, then. You may proceed."

"Thank you, Sir!" Chad called.

We moved the boat onward and past the Great Gates of Azulon.

"We're in."

**CHAPTER TWENTY! WOOOOO! :D**

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for all of your reviews and all of you following my story! I'm sorry I haven't posted anything new in awhile, but I've been really busy with finals and stuff so I'm really sorry. In a few days, I'm going away on vacation for two weeks, so I won't be able to write a new chapter in that time. I may be able to because I can bring my laptop, but I doubt that I'd have any time to write it. So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll be writing sooner than you know!**

**And Happy 4****th**** of July to those of you in the States! :D**


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: Ready

Chapter Twenty-One: Into The Nothing, Part One: Ready

~Zuko~

We had just passed the Gates of Azulon and we're now headed into the main dock. To our right and left are ships of all sizes. Some are big Fire Nation naval ships. Others are simple row boats for fishermen. And then I saw it...

The ship I sailed on for three years, hunting Aang.

I had a mix of emotions then. I didn't know whether to jump off the boat and swim for it, to cry, or to throw up. I'd had some pretty amazing times with my uncle on that ship, yet I knew how horrible it was for me to be hunting the Avatar on it. But something about it seemed strange to me...

Then, it hit me like a rock. No, Toph didn't just pop out of nowhere, but I realized how old this ship was getting. Everywhere, the ship was rusted. On the bottom, algae was growing, and you could tell that no one had taken good care of it. The top was destroyed in the attack from the pirates, so it must've been pulled into dock.

Just stared at it for awhile, wondering why it meant so much to me.

Then I felt Nick's hand on my shoulder. She stood beside me, watching the old boat with me as we sailed along. Everyone else was looking at the city coming up, but Nick and I watched this ship.

"That ship was part of your life for a long time...the good and bad. That's why it means so much to you," she stated simply. Then I knew what it was that bothered me so much.

"I... I can't believe how much I've changed since I first got on this thing," I whispered to her hoarsely. I was full of more emotion than I had ever been with this ship. "I was ordering people around, thinking I was destined to capture the Avatar. And now look at us. We're fighting for Fire Nation freedom. But strangely...I feel..._different...separated_ from my own home." I rested my head on the side of the boat, staring into the water. Nick sighed and rubbed my shoulder.

"You know you love this place, Zuko. But maybe...maybe you feel like you have a new obligation?" She stopped and turned to me as I looked at her.

"I...I'm sorry." I pulled away from her then, leaving her cold on one side of the boat. I didn't look back at her then because she knew what I was saying. This was my home...and I want it to stay that way. I'm not ready to give up on the Fire Nation yet.

Then we docked and we all helped each other out of the boat. I led the way with Mei at one side and Nick at the other...but she didn't say anything to me, nor did she look at me. She looked ahead without a word. A small gut feeling knotted my stomach at the sight of this. But I shook it off and kept moving.

We turned left after a few minutes into the outer city. We walked along the houses to look for an old friend of mine. He's my cousin and pretty wealthy in the Fire Nation. He went to school with me when we were kids at an all boy's school, but when I came to power, he was my most trusted guard...the one that I assigned to take care of my mother and uncle the day..._it_ happened.

I explained all of this to Nick and everyone on the way here, so they knew what we were doing.

After a few minutes, I knocked on a door.

A thin man, about my height with cropped black hair and hazel-golden eyes stepped to the front door. He wore royal Fire Nation clothes.

"Zuko!" Then he looked around at all of us. He whispered to me, "Where have you been? Who are they?" He gave them a weary glance. "And why is _he_ here? We could be killed!" he shouted in a whisper. I knew who he meant.

"I'll answer all your questions inside. I need help, Moku."

After that, he let us all inside and shut the door behind him.

"This way."

He led us down a long hallway to a dining room. It was themed red and had an enormous dining table with beautiful red seating.

"Please, make yourselves at home." He then gestured to a servant to bring in tea for everyone. He stood up at the end of the table. I sat to his right, followed by Mei, Brie, Nick, Cody, Mike, etc. Lily sat by herself at the other end of the table. She seemed like she was still crying. Did I push it too far?

"Everyone! I am pleased to meet you all!" he yelled over the clatter of spoons and tea cups. They obviously never had tea before...except Nick. "I'm Firelord Zuko's cousin, Moku Thomas. There are some special people here who have been waiting for you."

And then they came in.

Everyone dropped what they were doing, (Mike and Ray literally dropped their tea cups).

No one moved.

No one whispered.

Nick looked at me and mouthed, "Is it really them?"

Aang and Katara...in the flesh.

Aang was the first to move. He rubbed the back of his bald head with his hand. He was wearing the same outfit he wore when he fought Ozai, only this one was new. Katara was wearing the same outfit and hair style she wore when she and I fought Azula.

"Hey there...everyone..." And with that, everyone was out of their seats, rushing them.

They asked them a thousand questions and all sorts of crazy stuff.

All of the guys jumped at Aang.

"Are you a master firebender now?" Chad asked.

"You beat Ozai!" Ray screamed.

"Can you teach me some moves?" Mike asked.

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" Cody said, trying to quiet them. "Jeez! Let the kid have some space," he said cooly, obviously trying to be funny. Aang laughed.

"Hey, you're kinda funny. I'm Aang," he said with a bow to Cody. He thankfully bowed back. "You must be Cody."

"How'd you know?"

"Oh! Zuko sent us a letter by messenger hawk. He told us all about all of you, especially a certain Mei..."

Mei blushed fiercely.

Cody laughed. "Nice one, Zuko!" Aang put his arm around Cody.

"So you're the one dating Nick?"

"Uh...yeah."

"And she's a year older than you?"

"Eleven months. But isn't Katara two years older than you?"

"Yes...yes, she is."

"Wow."

"How do we do it?"

"Well, I-...no, I'm a fricken moron...I have no clue."

"We're gonnabe great friends, Cody."

"Yeah...but first off, we high five. No bowing crap."

"What's a high five?"

Then I watched what happened with Katara, Nick, Brie, and Mei. Lily still sat by herself.

"You're Katara!"

"You're Nick, right?"

"Yeah! But you can Waterbend! That's the greatest!"

"And you saved Zuko! That's amazing!"

"Yeah, but so did you!"

"And you lost your dad?"

"I...well...yeah. And you lost your mom?"

"Yes."

"I have no idea what I'd do if I was in your position and had the chance to kill him..."

She put a hand on Nick's shoulder. "I can see it in you. You'd do what's right, in the end."

Nick beamed.

Damn...they're more alike than I could've guessed.

"Hey guys!" All of us turned around and sawToph. "Hey Zuzu!"

"Since when do you call me that?"

"Since I have the authority."

"What authority?"

"Being the greatest Earthbender the world has even known."

"Shut up."

"It's great to see you again, Zuko," Aang said with a bow. I bowed back.

"It's great to see you again too."

Then we just looked at each other and broke into a hug.

"Zuko!" Katara called.

"Hey Katara," I said, smiling. She hugged me really tight and I moaned at the pain in my chest.

"Oh gosh! I forgot you got hit again! Let me see it."

I pulled off my shirt and two people swooned. I looked over and saw Brie and Mei standing there red.

"Mei...you're a lucky girl."

"Yeah..."

"Katara! Can you teach me how to heal?" Nick asked with enthusiasm.

"I don't know. If you're not a bender, you might not be able to..."

"Can we try?" She looked at Katara filled with hope in her eyes that her idol would teach her, and Katara saw it too.

"Okay. All you have to do is trace the shape of his wound with your pointer and middle fingers. You'll get the blood flowing that way. Here," she said. She pulled water out of her pouch and bended it over Nick's hand. "Now trace."

Nick did it with ease, and I slowly felt the pain release.

"Is that oasis water, Katara?" I said, sighing. "That stuff hits the spot."

"No, actually," she said, confusion evident in her tone. "And...I'm not doing that."

We looked over at Nick and saw that the healing was working almost too well. The scar was starting to heal over, and Nick continued her job with amazing concentration.

"Am I doing okay? How does it feel Zuko?"

"It feels amazing." She looked at me and turned back the healing quickly. Before I could wonder why, I remembered how much of a jerk I was on the boat.

"You're not supposed to be able to do it that well..." Katara said. "It's supposed to at least sting a bit, right Zuko?"

"When you did it, yeah, but she's great!" I looked down and saw that the wound was no longer gaping open... Though it was just the other day...

Katara turned away and walked to Aang. "We need you to heal too."

"Okay." He pulled his shirt off and threw it to the floor as we watched. Nick swooned.

"Hello!" shouted Cody. "I'm standing right here!"

"I never said you weren't cute too," she said with a smirk. Cody turned pink. Out of spite, he pulled off his shirt.

"What wounds to you have?" she asked.

"Uh...none."

All of us laughed, and joked about that for awhile.

"Okay," Katara said, returning. She seemed to have calmed down. Aang winked at me. "I need the water back now, Nick."

"Yeah, sure. Just bend it."

"Why don't you?"

"But...I can't bend. I was just healing."

"Do it. You probably can."

"Okay...here it goes."

Nick slowly lifted her hand off my chest, and raised the water. When she let it off her hand...

It dropped.

With a splash.

"I knew it! She's a healer!" Katara said. "My mother was too! She couldn't bend, but she could heal! Nick, you're a healer!"

"No way!" She looked down at her hands and smirked, clutching them hard. "Sweet..."

The rest of the hour continued until there was a knock at the front door. Moku got the door and came back.

"Avatar Aang, Lady Katara, and...greatest Earthbender..." It sounded more like a question than an address. "You must change into your Fire Nation outfits now."

They went and got changed, and when they came back, they were wearing their old outfits from in hiding.

"Moku, I need your help."

"If it involves getting my bitch-cousin off the throne, I'm in."

"We need to use that carriage to get into the castle. We'll ride it in and say you're here for a visit. Then we sneak off while you distract her."

"Will do, Firelord Zuko," he said with a bow.

"How many times have I told you to just call me Zuko? We're cousins and best friends!"

"Alright, alright..."

All of us piled into the carriage. Nick was just stepping in when I took her arm.

"I need to talk to you." She looked at me skeptically.

"Please." She looked at me for a long moment and stepped down. "We need a minute."

I pulled her back inside the house for a minute.

"Nick I-" I started. But then I stopped because she wanted to say something too. "You first."

"Zuko, on the boat...I didn't mean to do that to you...to make you choose like that. I know this is your home and you'll never want to leave it behind," she said. She was starting to tear up, so she turned away from me. I spun her around to face me as I spoke.

"But Nick, that's what I wanted to apologize for. This _was_ my home once. But I don't love this place anymore. I never did. And it was only when you said something that made me realize it." I took a breath and sighed. "I always thought that I needed my honor...my thrown...my people. And when I sat on that thrown when I became Firelord, yeah, it was what I thought to be the greatest thing I've ever had in my life. But now...I look at you, and I look at Mei...and Cody...and you guys are the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. You guys taught me how to be a friend. With my uncle, and the other Mai...they taught me to love. Katara and Aang taught me to learn what's right and wrong, and Katara alone taught me what trust is. But you guys are _everything to me._ You're the closest person I've ever been to, I know now that I'm in love with Mei...and Cody is my best friend. But you...I...thank you."

And with that, I hugged Nick so quickly and so tightly that at first, she gasped for air. Then she returned the hug, and we cried. We cried long and hard together. Saying 'I'm sorry' and 'It's okay' and 'Thank you.'

After we pulled apart, we smiled at each other and walked outside. We stepped into the carriage and I sat down next to Mei. She was just talking to Katara about Aang and Cody, when I tapped her on the shoulder.

"_Mei_ I interrupt?"

She giggled. "What's up, Zuko?"

Her soft blue eyes glistened as they touched me in my soul and made my heart thump loudly in my chest.

I held her face in my hands and pulled close to her slowly and gently pressed my lips against hers.

"Oh come on!" Chad screamed.

"Get a room, will you?" Brie yelled at us.

"Look at the little lovebirds!" Mike said.

"Yeah, we are! Get over it!" Mei said.

I looked over at Nick and saw her seated next to Cody. She was laughing at all of this.

Cody looked at her for a long while, and I was wondering what he was looking at when Nick spoke.

"We had a bit of a fight on the boat, but everything's cool now, okay?" Figures. Nick must know a certain look he gives her means he knows something's up. Man, they are close.

"Okay, fine." Cody hesitated, then stretched his arm behind Nick's head, and said obnoxiously, "Yawn!" He laid his arm over her shoulders with her laughing. He pulled her closer to him and she rested her head on his chest.

"Hey!" Brie, Mei and I yelled at the same time. "That's my sister!" Wow...Nick's close with a lot of people.

"Oh...shut up," she said. She laid back down and buried her face in Cody's chest again. He put his hand on her cheek and let her lay there.

After about fifteen minutes, we pulled up the gate leading to the inner city. Moku got us in, and we continued down the road to the palace.

"On the day of the invasion, we had to walk this road," Katara told Brie and Mei. I looked out the window and saw the whiny, jagged path leading up the side of the volcano, into the inner city.

When we got to the top, we went through a tunnel and came out inside the volcano...the inner city. It was huge from up here, but not nearly as big as Ba Sing Sei. It was also themed red, and had a busier feel to it.

When we finally arrived at the palace, Moku told the guards that family was visiting, and they let us in. We then got out of the carriage to go inside. Nick had fallen asleep.

"Nick... Nick..." Cody was whispering to her.

"You idiot! Haven't you seen the movies? You're supposed to kiss her!" Brie said.

"What?"

"Just do it," Mei said, rolling her eyes.

"Okay..." He gently pressed his lips softly against her cheek and made a quiet sound. Nick stirred and yawned.

"Are we there yet?"

"Yeah. Time to go," Cody said.

"Oh my gosh! Did I fall asleep?" she said, suddenly awake now.

"Yup!" Cody said.

"Awwww man!"

"Don't worry about it. You look cute when you sleep." Nick blushed and we got out of the carriage.

All of us started to walk in together, side by side, and I'll admit, it was nerve wracking.

When we got into the palace, we were led down a long hallway that I knew as the seating area. The throne room was awhile away.

"Firelord Azula will be with you in a moment," a guard said. Then he shut the door and left us alone. Bad security choices, Azula.

"Isn't she supposed to be called Fire Lady if she's female?" Katara asked.

"Yeah, but she's nutso with power right now," Mike stated simply.

"Okay, break into your groups!" Nick called. Everyone got into their planned groups. Team Water was me, Nick, Mei and Cody. Team Fire was Aang, Katara, Brie and Earth was Chad, Toph and Lily. Team Air was Ray, Matt, and Ty Lee. Everyone readied their weapons.

I stepped forward. I looked around at everyone and how much we've grown together as a group. We've been through so much together and today...they're helping me more than they know...

And risking more than they know.

"Alright guys! Let's move out!"


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: Set

Chapter Twenty-Two: Into The Nothing, Part Two: Set

~Team Earth - Chad~

All of us were running through the hallways toward the throne room. We had a plan, and we were ready.

We ran together in a steady, quiet beat through the darkened hallways. It was eerily quiet...until we saw the first guards.

"Earth Team, go!" Nick ordered. That was Toph, Lily, and I. We sped on ahead and each other us lunged at a guard.

"Go!" I shouted at Nick. She looked at me one last time and mouthed, "Good luck," and then they were gone.

Lily lunged at her target and managed to slice at the guard's neck. She cut it open with her steel fan with a clean shot and continued to fight him.

Toph had started shooting rocks at her guard while the guard deflected them with her blade. Eventually, Toph got a solid shot and went in for the kill.

I took out my hook swords and used a spin-swipe to take out the guard's legs. He fell over with ease and I was about to stab him with the butt-end of the sword when I heard a scream unlike any I'd ever heard before. I knew the sound had come from Lily, so I quickly finished off the guard and ran toward her.

Toph was being held off a bit by her guard, but Lily was on the floor, bleeding. She rolled out of the way as the blade swung down at her, narrowly missing her face. I jumped up and aimed a round-house at the guard's head, which made him fall over. I jumped on top of him and scraped at his face with my sword until he passed out.

When I finished, Toph was already at Lily's side, calling for help. Lily wasn't helping the situation either by writhing around on the floor, screaming. Her body twisted in pain as tears mixed with body on her face and torso.

"Toph, shh! The guards will-" but before I could finish my sentence, there were at least five of them surrounding us. "come."

~Team Air – Ty Lee~

We continued running through the palace halls after Team Earth had to fight. I stayed close to Ray and Matt, in the event we needed to go as well.

Wow, Ray's kinda cute... I winked at him and he smiled at me.

Then, it was our turn.

"Team Air, go!" ordered Zuko.

I flipped forward and took out the first guard with some quick jabs to the neck and shoulders. He collapsed as the rest of the team disappeared.

"Nice shot!" Ray said. He held up a hand. I hit it and twisted my fingers between his.

"You know, if we don't die or anything, maybe you and I could go some place."

"Well, you won't." We turned around and saw a huge guard with different armor from the others. We got into fighting stances. "I am the general of Firelord Azula's army, and I-" But before I could process what was happening, the guard fell backward, spewing blood with a spear through his stomach. He died on the floor in seconds. The guards and us stood there, dumbfounded.

"Damn! I had annoying boss speeches!" Ray shouted. I knew in an instant that he was the one that killed him. I jumped up at him and kissed him on the lips.

"My hero," I said with a wink.

Ray looked at me confused for a second, then shrugged and kissed me back.

"Uh...guys?" Matt said, worriedly. "You may want to help me out." We pulled apart and saw ten guards coming for us.

"Let's finish this," Ray said.

"And then we can have some alone time."

"Really?" Matt interrupted.

"Oh, shut up before you get into another speech. You don't want to end up like him, do you?" Ray said, sticking a thumb in the direction of the guy on the floor.

"I'm good, thanks."

~Team Fire – Mike~

I've been having a lot of doubts as we run through this place.

Lily isn't the girl I thought she was. She was horrible to Nick, one of my best friends.

I don't know how well I can fight after seeing parts of the two battles that went on as we went past them. Though if I can beat Nick, I may be okay...

But now I don't have time to think about it because ten more guards just popped up.

"Water Team, go!" Nick shouted. She nodded in my direction, and I nodded back.

A possible final farewell.

She then mouthed something to Brie, but I couldn't tell what. All I saw was Brie rub her necklace between her fingers and we took off.

Katara flew at two of the guards on a wave of water, knocking them over. She then got into octopus form and started whipping at them.

Aang..._damn._ He went into the fucking Avatar State. Wait...why the hell didn't he go to fight Azula with the power he has? God, Nick is so damn thick.

Brie used her machete over her head, making it spin. She ducked down and swatted at a guard's foot, taking it clean off with her blade. He was down for the count.

I ran in with the daggers at the ready, spinning them easily in my hands. I jumped up, ready to stab one guard with a loud yell, but before I could come down on him, he turned toward me and shot fire at me. I screamed and threw my blades in front of my face, bracing for the burn as I fell down. I hit the ground with a loud thud.

But I didn't feel a burn.

I sat up, wearily and shook my head. Not even my hands felt a burn. I looked down and saw that my dragon necklace was glowing bright red. Wait... Did that thing just absorb the freakin' fire?

"Mike! You okay?" Brie shouted toward me as she sliced off a guy's arm.

"Yeah, I'm alright!" I jumped up and lunged at the next guard with my necklace glowing. The guard came toward me, but I side-stepped quickly and stabbed him in the back, and as I came up, another guard was in my face, but I jabbed him with my elbow and stabbed at his forehead. I will _never_ forget the feeling of ripping my dagger out of someone's skull.

Oddly enough, I felt...change. Change was evident in the air...so thick you could feel it. I know what's happening. And I don't know if I like it.

I thought that Brie would shy away from a fight like this, but she fought on, strong. She wanted to live, and she wanted to help Zuko just as much as the next person. I could sense the adrenaline rush in her as she moved. She was ready to kill.

On the other hand, I wasn't. I always thought that a fight was for strength or power. But here, and now...I want it to stop. I'll fight to protect the people I care about, and I'll fight to stop this God damn bitch, but this is for survival of humanity...not just some joke anymore.

That's what Brie must have felt before I did. She knows that she's fighting for her life and others right now.

And that's what we came here for.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" I felt the impact before I saw the fall. Brie was falling fast. She was definitely unconscious, but she was still in mid-air. I acted on instinct.

I jumped up, high and landed on a guard's head. Before he toppled under my weight, I stepped from one head to the next, and as I did so, Katara took them out with the octopus. I jumped up and caught Brie just seconds before she'd hit the ground, and I tucked and rolled with her in my arms. She woke up, startled.

"Mike! What happened?" she yelled, as I stood, jabbing a guard that was behind her.

"You were hit pretty hard. I caught you though. Can you fight?" I said as I double stabbed the guy behind me.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Then her face went pale. "Mike! Watch out!" I spun around and saw fire being shot in our direction, and I stood in front of her, blocking her way and held out my necklace in front of me. It absorbed the fire with ease and glowed even brighter now. "What the hell was that?" she yelled.

"No time to explain!" I said, dodging a spear. I sliced it with the knife. "Team up?"

"Let's kick some ass."

"I got your back."

"I got yours."

We stood back against back as the oncoming guards attacked us. There seemed to be more and more with each passing minute.

I stabbed one guard in the chest and Brie sliced at the one to my left. A firebender shot flames at us and I held up my necklace to my right, blocking both Brie and I. One guy came up from my blind spot and tried to take me out, but Brie whipped her blade at him full-force and blood splattered all over us. I wiped the blood from my eyes and low-jabbed the guy in front of me. Brie sliced down the guy to her left, my right as I took out another firebender after the block with a knife shot to the chest.

Brie and I were starting to get tired, but we knew we had to keep going to protect ourselves and our partners.

**And that's the new chapter. Sorry I've been so slow with the chapters the past few weeks. It's been a little crazy, but I'm still doing the best I can, trying to keep up with this, The Flames of Death (my Wizard101 story), and trying to write Nicki Spirit. I'm still gonna keep on going and try my hardest. I hope you guys liked the idea of the new perspectives for a brief change. I had fun writing about it. **** And who knew Mike had some sort of anti-bender necklace? We'll just have to wait and see where it came from. Stay tuned! And please review! :D**

**P.S; To superstoyboi124, the character Moku was for you. I gave him the middle name you wanted. I hope you were happy with his part...or maybe he'll be back. We'll have to wait and see. ;)**


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three: Go

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Into The Nothing, Part Two: Go**

_~Mei~_

We're running down the hallway together as the four of us leave Mike, Brie, Aang, and Katara behind. That could be the last time we see them again...

But that's the last thing on my mind right now. Now I have to face Azula with Zuko, Nick, and Cody.

If Cody dies...eh, to hell with him.

But no...if something does happen to him...okay, I'll admit it. I'll miss his dumbass humor...

Nick... There's only one solution if something happens to her.

And Zuko... I can't even bare to think about it.

We're running together in a straight line down the hallway. Zuko on one end with me to his right, then Nick, then Cody.

I can't believe we've come all this way. We started out finding out a frickin' cartoon character is real...and now we're fighting for his world...

And now I'm in love with him.

Well...this is a pretty interesting story to tell someday.

Then I slam head-first into Zuko's back. We all abruptly stopped moving.

"We're here."

I look up and see huge, red curtains leading into what I know will be the main throne room. I swallow hard.

"Is everyone ready?" Nick asked all of us. She looks to Zuko and he closes his eyes and nods, squeezing my hand in his. She looks to me and I nod, squeezing her hand. Finally, she turns to Cody. He's staring at the curtains, wide-eyed.

"Cody?"

He turns to face her and looks at her long and hard. The moment seemed so heartfelt that I felt the need to look away.

Finally, he closed his eyes and squeezed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek for a few seconds before finally pulling away.

"Ready..." Zuko said. He let go of my hand and got into a fighting stance. All of us started pulling out our weapons. This is it. Our moment of passing or failure. Nick pulled out her daggers, one in between each of her fingers. Cody pulled out the nun chucks, spun them once and stood, ready.

Finally, I wearily took my bow off my back and held it up. Nick gave me a reassuring glance, and I looked to Zuko for support. He kissed me lightly on the cheek and whispered, "_You can do this."_ I pulled out an arrow from behind me and locked it into position on the bow.

"Set..." Cody continued. Everyone looked forward and glared.

"Go," Nick finished.

All of us stormed forward and pushed the curtains past us. We walked in, slowly, and looked around for Azula.

She wasn't on her throne.

"Where the hell is she?" Cody muttered.

"Right here."

Before we could even glace, a bolt of lightning aimed directly at Nick's head and fired. Zuko pushed me to the side, yelling, "Look out!" He did it lightly and smoothly, so that we rolled onto our feet quickly. I looked behind me and watched as Cody clumsily grabbed Nick around the waist and threw them both to the side, landing hard on the marble floor.

"Nick!" I screamed.

Just then, Azula jumped down from a nearby pillar in full Fire Lord Garb. Her hair was down and wildly untamed. She wore no makeup, and she looked insane. But then I saw the look in her eyes.

Shit...

She _is._

"Zuzu! How nice it is to see you again!" she shrilled. "I thought you killed yourself after Mei died! And thank goodness you didn't! When I found out from my friends the Black Lotus Organization that you and the Fly's daughter were still alive, I asked them for a little favor. And since they couldn't do it, I see you've accomplished it on your own."

"The Fly! That's my dad's nickname!" Nick shrieked. I shook my head trying to make sense of it all.

"Yes, well it does rather suit him. I've seen those creatures for myself when the Black Lotus brings things back from your world. They're smart, agile...almost impossible to kill. But eventually...you _catch_ them."

"_You!"_ Nick shrieked. I had never heard a sound like that come out of her mouth before. It was horrifying, hearing the agony behind the simple word. She jumped up and trying running toward her, but Cody jumped on her quickly. He hugged her around the waist holding her arms down to her sides.

"Nick, you have to stop!" he yelled. I'd never heard him this panicked before. "You have to _stop!"_

Nick stopped fighting him and dropped to her knees. She stared wide-eyed at Azula. "It was you! You had them set that place on fire that day! You killed him!"

"Well...not quite. You see, your father was a bit of a menace in the Black Lotus' plans." Azula told the story, pacing back and forth. "He was, after all, the leader of the American branch of the White Lotus organization. The Black Lotus simply wanted to rule the world of course. But they have the idea of world peace in mind, and possibly connecting our two worlds. But the White Lotus Organiztion doesn't seem to understand that. When the Black Lotus took over the Chinese government all those years ago, the White Lotus Rebellion broke out. That's when they formed...as an opposing organization. As it turns out, my great-grandfather Sozin was the one behind the uniting of your world and mine during the White Lotus Rebellion. In turn, that is what caused the comet to come; the ripping of the universal walls of time and space. So he used this power to first wipe out the Air Nomads. He was ready to take all of the other nations down and force them into the Fire Nation's rule. As for your world, they did the same, trying to take over everything and everyone, forcing them into their power, their ways. And there you have it. Your history...my history...and now here we are, in a battle to win one over the other...and only one of us will come out alive."

"Or four and one dies!" I retorted. She's making me so angry. It's so horrible what they've done...

"We'll see..." she says with a wave of her hand. All of us stand up. Nick is losing some blood from the fall. She must've stabbed herself with a shuriken.

"_Charge!"_ Nick screamed. All of us ran forward, at the ready. Zuko whipped out fire straight out of his palms and started rushing toward her. He shot his fists forward and a wall of fire formed, rushing toward her. Azula jumped up and dodged the fire, shooting blue fire at Zuko and I. Zuko blocked it with a round-house kick and used the momentum to spin on the ground, creating a circle of fire around him and launching it at Azula.

"Come on!" Nick called to me. She was standing with Cody. "We can't let this turn into an Agni Kai!"

"Right!" I rushed forward and drew back the arrow. I kept my eye on Azula and released. The arrow went through the whip of blue fire she just threw at us and hit her square in the chest. For a second, nothing happened. Then she reached forward and ripped the arrow right out of her. Blood came spewing out, and I cringed slightly. However, she came at us again, this time, riding a wave of blue fire.

Then, as Zuko shot fire at her, she punched it out of the way, leaving an opening for the rest of us. I fired another two arrows. The first one missed and the second bounced off her shoulder. She was coming fast, so I started running to the throne as she raced toward us. Zuko kept firing and Nick and Cody ran beside me.

Nick then jumped up and threw a shuriken at her, full-speed. It spun so fast in the air that it looked like a little disc. Luckily, her aim was good and it got her in the thigh. It cut it right open, and blood oozed out slowly. We kept running, and now Cody turned around and whipped the first nun chuck at her, sending the chain flying toward her. It hit her in the head but she didn't even flinch, as her biggest problem was Zuko. The second one came at her, only this time, she grabbed it at the end, and swung it over her head. She cackled as she did so, and Cody was flung of his feet, holding onto the nun chuck for dear life.

"Cody!" Nick shouted. Azula then let go of the chain, and Cody went flying to the side of the throne room, crashing into the wall with a loud clang of metal. Dammit! I forgot the Fire Nation's only good for metal. Otherwise they'd burn everything.

Nick chased after Cody, but as she did so, Azula came up behind them fast. My only chance was to shoot.

I pulled back another arrow, locked it in, and fired. The arrow shot through the air, sparkling in the light of the blue and red fire. Finally, it hit Azula in the lower back, at last, knocking her off the wave of blue fire.

Nick was now at Cody's side and she quickly used healing on his head. He shook off the pain and jumped to his feet with Nick. They came back, both firing at the same time. Daggers and nun chucks coming out lightning fast.

And as they came, Azula stood up and back flipped to avoid them. Then, she did her usual lightning routine, and held it for a moment, deciding on whom to choose. At last, she set her eyes on Zuko, and I realized only a second to late, for he was just standing up from another attack when she fired.

"_NO!"_

_~Cody~_

He fell.

He fell _fast._

Zuko lay on the ground with blue lightning blazing around his form. He twitched all over from the agony. I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain.

She had shot him in the exact place he was hit the last time with lightning...square in the chest.

I prayed that the healing Nick did earlier today would help him somewhat, but it looked bad..._really _bad.

But then my attention fell on Nick who was now rushing straight at Azula. I sped forward, trying to get behind her.

Azula fired blue fire at Nick, but she easily did a shoulder roll to the right and threw a dagger at her. Somehow, Azula caught it and drew back her hand. Before Nick had time to think, she threw the dagger, sending an electric jolt within the metal. Nick froze, thinking she was about to die. Instead, I finally caught up to her and dove at her legs, knocking her over, just as the dagger went flying past her head and into the nearest pillar.

"Cody?" she asked, weakly.

"Come on, get up!" I said, tugging at her arm. Finally, she stood up, but she swayed slightly, feeling some pain in her leg. I caught her lightly and stood her up. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Let's do this." We ran toward Azula together this time. As Azula shot fire at us, Nick rolled out to the left and came up behind her. I rolled to the right and came up next to her.

Simultaneously, we hit her hard. I got her right in the face with the nun chuck, hearing the snapping of her bones in her nose. Nick got her in the back of the neck, cutting off the hideous cackling sound at last and knocking her over. She fell face first onto the floor in front of me, blood pooling out of her. Nick quickly bent down and waved her hand over her.

"She's down for the count, but she'll survive."

"Hurry, we have to help Zuko!" I grabbed her hand and ran with her to Zuko's side. He was completely unconscious on the floor.

"You have to save him!" Mei screamed at Nick. Tears poured down her face.

"I'm trying!" She flipped Zuko onto his back. His shirt was almost entirely burnt off, and his chest was crusted with ashes of a third degree burn. Tears started coming to her eyes fast.

"You can do this," I told her. "Just stay calm." She nodded and started to get to work on him.

She leaned over him and started to press her hands to his chest when a small shock of blue lightning shot out of him and hit her. She fell over, twitching and contorting in pain.

"Nick! Nick, come on! Stay with us!"

"AHHHHHH!" she screamed. She kept writhing in obvious agony. If she was down too, then neither of them could be saved.

"Come on, please!" I begged. I sat next to her now-unmoving form and hugged her into my chest. "You have to be okay. You have to save yourself and Zuko... _Please!"_

Finally, her eyes fluttered open. It must have been less of a damaging blow to her than it was to Zuko, being as she got it second-hand.

"Nick?"

She starting to get up but almost fell over. I grabbed her and held her up as she tried to stand again before she finally started walking toward him.

"I have to do this," she muttered. She sat down next to him again and pressed her hands down onto his chest as quickly as she could. As she did, blue sparks shot out from his open wound, obviously causing her more pain.

"You have to stop! You'll kill yourself!" I shouted.

However, she ignored me completely and squinted her eyes against the light. She screamed in pain, but I watched as the wound started to slowly heal. The ashes disappeared and the skin grew back in seconds. There was a deep scar in his chest, but the wound was finally closed up. Finally, Nick stopped and fell onto her back, breathing heavily.

"I...did it..." she breathed. I sat next to her and hugged her into me.

"Never...do that...again," I warned. She breathed a low laugh. And I laughed too.

_~Nick~_

After I calmed down and was steady enough, I reached up and kissed Cody on the cheek. He turned red, as usual, and I stood up. I walked over to where Zuko and Mei were sitting and crying together.

"I thought I lost you!" Mei yelled. Zuko was awake and smiled, holding Mei.

"You didn't, and you never will."

"Think...again."

I spun around and saw Azula getting up.

"That's impossible!" I screamed. "I healed you but not completely to be sure you'd stay down!"

"I guess I'm just too good!" she screeched. She ran toward me and I left everyone alone. I ran at her as she ran at me, and somehow got up the nerve to punch in the face. I didn't think for a second about how that should've been impossible with her power.

"Take that, bitch!" I yelled.

"How dare you!" She charged at me, but this time, she didn't shoot fire. She was going for the kill.

Lightning.

"You just want everyone dead!" I dared to scream. "You just hate the fact that no one has ever cared about you! Not even your own mother! And she had good reason too! Look at you now!"

"I...I... That's not true!" she wailed.

"Yes it is! And you just hate Zuko because your mother loved him because he wasn't evil like you! And you hate me because my father loved me and gave his life away to protect others! Your father didn't care about you at all! All he wanted was power and you know it! He used you, Azula!"

"_NO!" _she shrieked. _"He loves me!"_

"No he doesn't. He doesn't care about you at all, and you know it!"

"No! He...He loves me... Doesn't he? _Doesn't he?"_

I shook my head.

"_Why?"_ And the exact opposite of what I hoped to have happened, happened.

She lunged at me, no fire, no lightning. Just came.

She threw a fist at my face, but I side-stepped and grabbed her wrist. Before she could twist out of it, I put her in a thumb lock and dragged her to the floor. She lay on her stomach, thrashing about, attempting to stop the pain. Then, I pressed harder, crushing her hand and wrist. She screamed out just as I felt a clean snap.

I let go and let her cry on the floor. Not from her wrist, most likely. Just the pain of never having anyone who cared about you.

I stood up and walked over to the others. I hugged Cody and kissed him on the cheek again.

"I guess that even though I've lost so much, I'm still grateful for having people around who care."

"Agreed," they said together.

_~Zuko~_

And for the third time, just when we finally think she's finished...

"_I HATE YOU ZUKO! I HATE YOU!"_ She stood up and stared directly at me. "ONE MORE FIGHT! TO THE FINISH!" She walked toward me with that crazy look in her eyes again, and I stepped forward.

"Bring it." I walked toward her. "You know something, Azula? Ever since we were little, I always walked in your shadow." She blasted fire at me, but I easily side-stepped. "You were always the firebending prodigy. Everyone just saw me as a mistake to the Fire Nation Royalty." She kicked fire at my head, but I pushed it away with my hand, still walking toward her. "But look at us now. Look what you've become." She shoved her fist at me with fire shooting toward me, but I swiped it away with a kick. "And now I finally know something. The good side...is the right side."

At last, I drew back, took one last deep breath, and lunged all of the fire I could muster forward, out of my hands. Azula did the same.

The burning orange and the ice-hot blue flames collided in the middle and pushed each other back and forth. I had to use every last once of energy possible to keep pushing on. Then, the blue flames started to kick up in power with a yell from Azula. They pushed forward, and there was only a foot of orange flames between me and her wall of blue. Everyone gasped, as the rest of the team finally came rushing in. I only knew from the sound of the many footsteps, as I had to keep going.

Then, I pushed forward.

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

I forced my energy forward and in a wave of heat, she was knocked off her feet as the blue fire disappeared. The wall was blasted with orange flames, and the metal turned bright red, before finally cooling down.

I stormed over to where she lay, motionless, and burnt.

She looked up and me with tears in her eyes, and I drew back a fist of fire.

Everyone behind me...gasped. I looked back and saw the looks on everyone's faces. Shock...horror...sadness.

Mei looked at me with pleading in her eyes. And said one word, as low as I could strain to hear.

"Don't."

I looked back at Azula and dropped my hand. I won't do it. I'm not a killer.

"I'm not a monster. Not like you."

Then, Aang and Katara rushed forward. Katara waterbended rings around Azula's wrists and froze them to the floor. Aang then stepped forward, breathed deeply, and placed one hand under her chin, one on her forehead and in a flash, their heads suddenly jolted up, and blue light shot out from Aang's body. He was completely blue with light. Azula was now entirely red, glowing as well.

All of us watched in amazement as the light shot upward and bursted through the ceiling of the palace. Aang's blue glow then started to press forward, covering Azula in blue as well. Her entire body was covered in blue light, until the last of the red light in her eyes was entirely blue. All of us then shielded our eyes, and the blue light exploded through the room and faded away.

When we looked again, Katara was picking up Aang and Azula lay unconscious on the floor.

"What... What _was_ that?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"I took Azula's bending away. She'll never be able to do anything to anyone ever again," Aang told the crowd.

Everyone jumped up and cheered.

Mei jumped into my arms, and I swung her around in a passionate kiss.

I looked around and saw everyone there. Even some guards. I was about to attack them when Chad held his hand up.

"No, they're okay," he said. "When we were almost taken down, they saw that Lily was going to die if they didn't do something." Everyone turned and faced her, who was being supported by Toph. She had bandages around her torso. "They told us that they were still loyal to you, so they didn't want to hurt us. They helped us."

"Thank you," I said with a small bow.

"No, thank you, Fire Lord Zuko," they all said, getting down on the floor. Everyone else soon followed. Mei even tried to get down, but I held her up.

"You don't need to do that." I leaned in and kissed her. Everyone cheered.

"Wait a second..." Toph said, hesitantly. "Does anyone else...feel that?"

"Feel what?" Katara asked.

"Wait, I feel it too," Aang added.

"It's...like...a huge vibration...deep in the Earth."

"Uh...guys?" Nick said. "Isn't this place in a volcano?"

"The entire Fire Nation is," I stated.

"Uh oh..." she said.

"What?"

"How long has this volcano been dormant for?"

"Since the first time Sozin's comet came. Why?"

"We have to get out of here... _NOW!"_


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four: Race

**Hey guys! Alright, here's the next chapter at long last! :D Just saying, building your entire country inside of a volcano...not a very bright idea. :P I just wanted to touch on that thought with this story because no one ever seemed to take that into consideration in the show, other than when Avatar Roku died. Because this volcano seemed like the never-erupting volcano if their country's been there all this time. *Shrugs***

**Okay, I hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter as much as I did writing it! :D**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Into The Nothing, Part Four: Race**

"Wait, what's going on?" Zuko screamed over the roar of the falling ceiling and walls around us. We all ran together through the palace, trying to escape in time. As we all ran, we had to jump over fallen rocks, run around collapsed walls, and pull each other to safety.

"The volcano that your genius family built," I started. Then, a piece of the ceiling came hurdling at me. I didn't have time to think, because just then, Cody jumped at me and sent me hurdling backwards. The ceiling piece collapsed in the place I was standing just moments ago. I sat up and pulled him to his feet, and we sprinted to catch up to Zuko. "Thanks! You okay?" I had to scream for him to hear me.

"Yeah, I'm fine!"

"Anyway," I said to Zuko, "Volcanoes erupt lava! And if we're going to survive, we have to get out of here!"

"Who the hell's genius idea was it to put this place in a volcano anyway?" Ray asked. "You guys are freaking retarded! Screw them! I say let them die of stupidity!"

"Ray..." Chad said slowly. "If we let them die, then we die too!"

"Right... And if we die, can Ty Lee bake us some cookies up in God knows where?" Chad facepalmed and I just shook my head, still running, dodging more falling objects.

"This is so not the time for this..." Mei said, shaking her head as well.

"Brie, look out!" Mike shouted. Just then, a chunk of the ceiling fell and went through the floor, right in front of her. She slipped and fell in but caught onto the edge just in time. Below her, we saw orange, white-hot lava. "Take my hand!" he shouted at her.

"I can't!" she screamed. She started breathing heavy, losing her self-control. But thankfully, Mike leaned down and grabbed both of her wrists, pulling her up. Then, Mike almost fell in, but I grabbed him from behind. I pulled as hard as I could, and then Zuko grabbed me around the waist, and we all helped each other up. But just then, a huge rock came hurdling at us, and Zuko threw the three of us out of the way. Though Zuko was nowhere in sight.

"_ZUKO!" _Mei and I screamed. Then we saw his head pop up from under the rubble and he punched the rock out of the way with some firebending.

"Come on! MOVE!" he screamed. We all ran again as more rock fell on the place we just were.

"How are we gonna get out of here?" Chad called to me.

"I have no fricken clue!" I called back.

"We're on the second floor!" Zuko called. "Which means that there's one floor above us and one below! So either way, we can get killed by the falling crap or falling in!"

"Thanks for the positive attitude!" Mike called to him, rolling his eyes.

"Can we just let him die?" Mei yelled to me.

"Let him die and we all die!" I yelled back. She rolled her eyes in frustration.

"I would say to let Cody die, but he just saved your life, so I guess we can use him," she said.

"Gee... Thanks, Mei," Cody said, sarcastically.

"Will you all just _shut the hell up _and _RUN?"_ I yelled to everyone. God! They can be so thick...

Another chunk of rock fell and landed just a few feet in front of me. It was way too big to go around, so all of us jumped over it one by one. Then, a piece of the floor fell out from below, and all of us had to scale that too. It was one thing after another, after another for what seemed to be forever. Not once did I even consider getting tired. I just felt anxious to get out. When we see the exit, the rest should be cake.

Just then, we heard a loud roar below us. We kept running and picked up the pace, trying to avoid whatever trouble was coming next.

But boy, were we wrong.

In a flash, all of us fell one story below in a heap. Rubble was everywhere, and debris smothered our breathing. I saw that those of us with breathing problems to begin with were getting the brunt of it. I helped Cody to his feet as Zuko helped out Chad, Ty Lee helped Ray, and Mei helped out Brie. I looked around for an exit with Cody's arm around my shoulders. He was slumped onto me as I tried my best to support out combined weight. The sounds from above us were quieter now...almost like the calm before the storm...

"Zuko, where the hell is the exit?"

"I... This is my old bedroom." I looked around and registered the fact that there indeed was a bed and wardrobe still standing. The rubble must have missed both by a hair. "The door _was _over there, but there's just rocks everywhere."

I looked around with Cody for an opening and found nothing. Every entrance was blocked in one way or another. Then I realized all of the guards that were with us were missing.

"Where are they all?" Katara asked, reading my mind.

"They're gone," Toph said, solemnly. "They were all crushed and killed, or fell into the lava. There was nothing we could do." Toph looked down and shook her head. Brie walked over and put an arm around her comfortingly.

All of us looked around and gave each other a once-over. Everyone had bruises and cuts, blood everywhere, ashes and smoke staining our skin. Cody had a cut over his left eye and I had gashes in my knees and on my right shoulder. Everyone else had gashes everywhere as well.

But our break ended when we heard a roar unlike any other from deep within the ground. All of us looked up, alert and started panicking to find a way out.

Just then, it started to get really hot. No one else noticed, as they were all searching for a way out. Then I looked to where the door used to be.

There was an orange glow...

"Zuko!" I pointed to the crack in the place where the door was, and Zuko's eyes widened.

"Guys, help me lift the wardrobe!" he called. Aang, Katara, Toph, Ty Lee, Mei, Matt, and I all lifted it together. "Throw it on the bed!" We did so, and it made the bed four times higher. I saw where this was going now.

"Matt! Get on the wardrobe and help us get everyone out of here!"

"Got it!" I climbed up, clumsily, and managed to get on top. "Everyone up!"

"Zuko, go up and help everyone get out," I instructed. I looked back to the doorway and saw that the lava was starting to burn through. "Now!"

He swiftly hopped up and lifted Mei up and out of the hole in the ceiling where we'd fell in. He swung himself up and readied for the next person.

One by one, we all got on top of the wardrobe and got out. As we did so, however, I stayed at the bottom to make sure everyone else got out safely. I had to fight Cody to get him to move. He refused to go without me.

"Just go already! I'm fine! You need to get out!"

"Not without you, I'm not."

"Oh my God, just go!"

"No!"

"Guys, you're the last ones," Matt called down to me. I looked to the doorway and realized that the lava was inches from our feet. I pushed Cody onto the bed and we climbed on top of the wardrobe together.

"Will you go now?" I yelled at him.

"You first!"

"UGH! Fine!" I jumped as high as I could, and Zuko caught my wrists and pulled me up with Mei holding him. When I got up, I spun around in time to see that the lava was quickly deteriorating the bed.

"CODY! MATT! HURRY!" I yelled. I was horrified. I knew that Cody wouldn't be able to jump from the pain he was in before. But there had to be a way!

In a flash, Matt looked at me for one instant, and then looked away. He grabbed Cody and held him up to Zuko. My eyes snapped open in shock as Zuko grabbed him and pulled him up.

I ran over and helped Cody up over the edge. He breathed heavily and lay down, trying to control his breathing. I grabbed him in a hug and kissed him on the cheek, several times, making him turn red.

"Come on! You have to try!" Zuko shouted. I picked my head up and realized that Matt was still down there. I ran over and called to him.

"Matt, come on, JUMP!" I yelled. But he looked up at me, solemnly.

"It's too late now," he said. The lava was coming up on the wardrobe fast, and it set on fire.

"No it's not! It's never too late! JUMP!" I yelled. But just then, a piece of the floor fell through and collapsed into the lava below. Cody pulled me back just before I fell.

I coughed on the debris, and shook my head. "No! _MATT!" _This can't be happening. He can't be gone. He just can't be...

"Come on!" Cody yelled at me. Another rock came hurdling down at us, and Cody pushed us both out of the way. We both rolled around and finally fell onto our backs. I opened my eyes and sat bolt upright. Then I saw that rocks had fallen everywhere and left us separated from the others.

"No...No...NO!" I yelled. Tears started to fall down my face and wash some of the dirt away. "It...It can't be..."

Cody sat up and put his arms around me. "I know that this is hard for you right now. But you have to listen to me." I looked him in the eyes and he looked at me, hard. "You have to stay strong. We need to focus on what we're doing and get out of here. It's the only way we're going to make it out alive."

I nodded, feeling somewhat numb.

"I trust you, Nick. Now you have to trust me." He stood up and held his hand out to me. "We're getting out of here alive."

I wiped the tears away and shook my head of all its thoughts other than survival. I put on a determined demeanor and took his hand.

"I trust you."

Dad, stay with us now.

I know we can make it out alive...

_*Zuko*_

"Why couldn't I have just reached a little further and saved him? WHY?" I screamed. Everyone backed up from me, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of my rage.

"Zuko, it's not your fault," Mei told me. "He's an idiot that wanted to be able to save someone. You have to understand that. That was his dream."

"But he'd still be alive if I'd crushed the dream!" I yelled. Mei winced at the sound. I softened my expression and shook m head in defeat. "I'm sorry..." I said, more to Matt than to anyone. Mei crawled over to me and kissed me on the cheek.

"It's alright," she said, tears in her eyes. "But now we have to get out of here."

I stood up and pulled Mei up with me. I just hope Nick and Cody make it out okay...

"Alright! Who's with me?" All of them cheered. "If you want to make it out of here, you have to try!"

I lead all of us through the rest of hallway. When we made the next turn, I realized that we were at the edge of the palace.

"Everybody out!" I called. All of us filed out the main doors and sprinted through the court yard. When we left the palace gates, we saw hundreds of people running toward the main entry to the inner city. It was the edge of the volcano, and everyone made it to the outside. When I looked back, everything was completely engulfed in lava. Then, we saw an eruption from the bottom of the volcano spew out more lava high into the air.

Mei pushed me to leave, and all of us ran down the winding road that would lead us to the shore of the Fire Nation. We all ran as fast as we could, but the lava was gaining on us, fast.

Next to me, I saw Aang pull out his bison whistle and blow, hard. In an instant, Appa flew toward us from Roku knows where.

But just then, Mei fell off the side of the path. There was a sickening scream as I watched her start to slide down the side of the volcano.

"_MEI!" _I jumped after her and used my momentum to slide in next to her. I grabbed her in my arms and rolled down the mountain with her. Finally, we hide cement, and I heard a sickening slicing sound. I didn't feel the pain at first, as we flopped onto the ground. I looked up and saw that Mei was okay other than the battle of inside the palace. I was relieved, but then I felt the most sickening pain I'd ever felt in my life.

I looked down and saw blood dripping from my chest again. The wound was gaping open, and something was inside.

I realized that I had to take out whatever it was or die, so I reached my hand in, through the blood, now everywhere and pulled out a big, sharp rock from my torso. I wrenched it out of my body, and my hand twitched as I dropped the rock.

I let out the loudest scream of pain that I'd ever heard in my life. My own ears hurt so badly, I was sure it would leave permanent damage.

"_KATARA!" _Mei's voice rang in my ears. It was a miracle I stayed conscious. Mei leaned over me and took my shirt off of me as gently as she could. She used it to put pressure on my wound, but the blood only poured through.

"I'm here, it's alright," Katara said, trying to sooth Mei. Her tears poured down her face. "I'm going to try to heal him," she stated. She bent down and put water on the wound. She then bended it around her hand and pressed down on my chest. I didn't feel any pain anymore, just a blur of grays...

"Zuko, can you hear me?" Mei said. I couldn't move or speak, but instead I blinked my eyes as hard as I could manage, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "He's okay."

"This is not going to be easy for me to fix alone," Katara said. "I need Nick's help."

Everyone didn't say a word for a minute.

"And if we don't find her?" Aang asked.

"I...don't know," Katara stated.

"Come on, let's get him on Appa at least. We have to get out of here," Aang said. All of us then piled into the saddle and Mei and Aang lifted me on as Katara continued to heal me.

"Wait!" I heard a voice call from behind us. I tried to focus and saw Moku running toward us.

"Moku..." I said weakly. He climbed up and kneeled at my side.

"I needed to tell you something..." he panted, "about... Aunt Ursa..."

I sat up and winced in pain. Mei tried to push me back down, but I shook her off.

"She's alive. After the raid on the palace, I took her and Uncle Iroh to the Northern Water Tribe. You can still find her."

My eyes softened. "She's alive..." I held out my hand. "Thank you, Moku."

"Anything for you, Zuko," he replied, taking my hand. "I have to head back. I'm leading the fleets out of here. We're heading east to the Earth Kingdom. We're going to make amends and stay there."

"Glad to hear it. Goodbye, Moku."

"Goodbye, Zuko."

Then, he took off in a sprint down to the harbor.

"Come on!" Aang called. "We have to find Cody and Nick!" Then, he steered Appa into the sky.

_*Nick*_

"Take my hand!" Cody called down to me. I was a few feet below, and about to fall into the lava. I reached up and almost fell, but he caught me just in time. He pulled as hard as he could and we fell back onto the edge of the volcano. And just then, the volcano erupted.

"_RUN!" _I yelled. Both of us ran down the side of the volcano, eventually tripping and sliding down, side by side. We tossed and turned, banging against rocks and surely breaking something along the way...

Finally, we were thrown down to the shore and we both flopped on our stomachs on the sand.

I couldn't move. I was in pure agony. I opened my eyes and looked around. Then I saw Cody, panting to my right, and he was wincing in pain.

"We're alive... We're alive!" I shouted. Tears started rushing down my face. I was so relieved that we were safe. Somehow, I found the strength in that single statement and crawled over to his side. We laid next to each other in the sand, and I hugged him, thanking God we were safe.

"We're...alive," he finally said, taking everything in. But then he gasped, and I saw what was wrong as soon as he did. He gripped his right side, which was facing me and was now covered in blood. I quickly ripped his shirt and tied it around his stomach.

Come on, Cody... Stay with me...

But when it bled through, I ripped off his entire shirt and wrapped it around him, tightly to stop the blood. Then, I ran down to the water and dipped my hands in. I cupped some in my hands and ran it back over to him to wash the blood off.

Come on... Stay with me, Cody.

Then, I took the shirt off and put my hands on the gaping wound. I pressed down, and my hands started to glow blue.

Stay with me...

A few winces, 'It's gonna be okay's' and minutes later, the wound was closed. I kissed his cheek, and prayed to my dad.

"Please...let help come soon..."

Stay with me...

_You're all I have left._

And a white cloud seemed to come down a little too low in the sky...

And then...

"Nick!"

I know we can make it out alive.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five: Paths

**Hey everybody! I apologize for the insanely long wait, but some personal issues have been preventing me from writing, and I am truly sorry. However, I am back and ready for some action, drama, and goofing off with the Gaang again! :D I hope you guys like this part...for there are some twists that I presume you won't see coming. Or you did...? What are you? Psychic? What the hell? That's not fair! *Throws tomato***

**Anyway, remember to review, and check out my polls, guys! I'm still waiting on your favorite OC and least favorite OC!**

**And so...**

**On with Spiritflame!**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Paths**

_*Nick*_

"Nick!" I heard the call again like the sound of a Linkin Park electric guitar in my ear. In my case, that's a good thing, folks.

It was Chad calling to me from Appa, soaring down to the beach. Tears filled my eyes as I looked down at Cody, laying in my arms.

"We're gonna be okay!" He smiled at me and nodded, slowly.

But when they landed and Katara jumped out, running over to us, I knew something else was wrong.

I looked up and saw Mei face as she looked down at something in the saddle. Her eyes were puffed up, and they were tear-stained as she sat there, expressionless and staring. Katara finally reached me and gave Cody a once-over.

"He looks alright to me. Nice job, Nick," she complimented. "But Zuko isn't doing so well. He and Mei fell down the side of the volcano and a rock went into his chest." I looked over at the unconscious Zuko, and with a heart-wrenching realization, I knew that he truly needed me now more than ever. But then I heard a rumbling behind us and saw lava flowing down the cliff straight for the beach.

"Go! NOW!" Katara and I supported Cody as we walked over to Appa, and put him in the saddle. He got in and I kissed him lightly on the cheek before turning to Zuko as Aang took us into the skies.

I looked down at Zuko and my breath caught. He was out-cold, and his chest was gashed so deep, that I could see an artery or two pumping his blood...which was currently everywhere and getting worse, still.

"Ok, let's do this!" I said, lifting my hands, hovering them over Zuko. Katara bend the water out of her pouch and bent it around her hands. Then I put hands over hers and some of the water leapt onto me as if I were a magnet.

We both lowered our hands onto his chest. On contact, his internal body temperature warmed my hands, and both Katara and I had to press onto the inner parts of his chest to heal him, beyond his rib cage... Which, the ribs in that area were broken in multiple places, anyway.

The feel of the blood indirectly on my hands and touching his veins and arteries was something I'm sure was never meant to happen until I became the doctor I wanted to be. This was something that both fascinated me and horrified me at the same time, due to the small detail that I was working on someone that I was so close to.

Katara and I felt our way around, covering every open part of his chest, making our way outwards as the wound started to close up as we flew. We worked for over an hour before the wound finally closed. By that time, we'd both run out of water, and our hands were covered in blood.

Though Zuko had yet to wake up.

"It's closed," I sighed, collapsing onto the saddle floor. The blood on my hands was dried and crusted onto my skin, so I put my hand over the side of the saddle and let it flake off as we flew further.

"Thank you," Mei said, throwing herself at me. She hugged me so hard around my waist, I almost threw up.

"Mei..."

"Right! Sorry!" She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at me, with me smiling back at her.

"Glad that's over," I stated.

"Great job, guys," Brie said to Katara and I. I waved my hand at her, too tired to move. Katara just smiled.

"Finally!" Chad complained. "You got blood everywhere!"

"No, really?" Mike and Ray said simultaneously. Chad rolled his eyes.

"Oh, shut up, will you? I have such a bad headache. I think the blood got to me..." I held my head and lay face-down. I closed my eyes and relaxed for a minute...

"Wonder why..."

I shot up and looked around. Everyone was gaping at Lily. No one had any idea what to say...or make of it, for some. Only Cody, Mei, Mike, Chad and Brie knew what she was talking about.

"Wait...what?" Ray asked. "What is she talking about?"

I glared at her with venom in my eyes.

"Are you shitting me, right now?" Brie asked, standing up. "Are you _shitting me?_ COME HERE YOU!" Brie tried jumping at Lily, but Katara grabbed her by the arm and held her back. "LET GO OF ME! LET ME AT HER! THAT BITCH DESERVES A WHOOPING!" Brie started flailing about, trying to attack Lily. Still, no one moved. Though Lily was wide-eyed at Brie.

"Okay, what the fuck is that about?" Chad yelled at her. "You don't make fun of somebody like that! And she just saved his life! What the hell?"

She looked away and flipped her hair. Brie started screaming in rage.

"I'M GONNA FUCKIN' KILL HER! HOW DARE SHE!" Brie still struggled.

"Would somebody please explain what's going on?" Toph yelled. "I don't think Sugar Queen can contain Curly Q much longer!"

I looked around for some help, but Cody, Mike, and Mei looked away. Chad looked at me, questioningly. I nodded to him. He leaned over to Ray and whispered in his ear. At the end, his eyes grew wide, and he looked at me, pain and shock evident in his eyes.

"You did what? And you didn't come to me? Nick, how could you?" he yelled.

"Ray, I'm so sorry. I just thought-"

"You thought what? That I'd hate you or something? Everyone in school calls me emo all the time and it's not even true! You think I care? No!"

"Thanks, Ray," I said with a half smile.

"So... What the hell did she do?" Toph asked. Chad whispered it to her, Aang, Katara and Ty Lee. Then it clicked for them.

"Wow..." Aang said, dumbfounded.

"It must have taken a lot of courage to do that to yourself," Katara added. "And for you to blame and hurt yourself is the most interesting part of the whole thing."

"No, it's not brave. It's horrible. And I can't believe I let it get to that point," I admitted. "And I will say this; it is hard for me to avoid it sometimes. I do think about going back to it, but I fight it and keep going anyway. I just have to deal with it until I get over it completely."

I suddenly felt something soft on my cheek and blushed furiously, knowing it was Cody.

"I'll be here when you need to just get it all out, okay? Promise."

"Awww!" Brie said. She kept glaring back at Lily, however...

"On a lighter note..." Mike started, "Where the hell are we going?"

"The Western Air Temple," Aang replied. "But Katara and I can't stay long. We have to be getting back soon."

"To the South Pole, right?" I asked.

"Yes, with Toph and Ty Lee as well," Katara added. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ray and Ty Lee look at each other.

"We're here," Aang said. He flew us down into the canyon and we saw the marvelous Air Temple structures build by the nomads centuries ago. The view was incredible.

You could see the waterfalls on the platforms build for meditation by the nomads as well as the inverted structure of the temple. There were tons of ramps and individual buildings everywhere like an overly expanded apartment complex. I loved the Asian design of the temples overall, so this was my heaven.

"This is incredible..." I trailed off in awe.

"We'll show you guys around so you can pick a place to stay," Aang continued. He guided Appa down onto the main platform with the wall paintings from the show. I helped Cody off of Appa and walked him over to the water fountain and we sat down.

"This place is beautiful!" Ty Lee said. She stood next to Ray, with him having his arm around her waist.

"A little help, Mei," Aang groaned, trying to carry Zuko. She rushed over and held him under his arms while Aang got the legs. "I'll show you where his old room is. We'll set him down there and let him get some rest." She nodded.

"All the guys' rooms are this way too, so if you guys wanna follow me..." All of us followed them down a narrow hallway that led to a bunch of rooms, but it was very wide-spread inside.

"This one is Zuko's," he said, sliding the door open. Inside was a huge window at the back with a small twin bed and a window bench that had drawers for storage. "All the rooms are the same."

"That's creative," Ray stated sarcastically. Ty Lee giggled.

"I think I'm gonna barf," Mike commented. "Where's our rooms?" Aang and Mei set Zuko down. Everyone left the room, but I stayed behind for a minute watching them.

"You okay by yourself?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she responded, still not taking her eyes off Zuko.

"If you need anything, just yell, okay?"

"Yeah..." She barely mumbled. Then she turned to me. "Thanks."

I gave her a weak smile. "No problem, sis." I walked out and slid the door behind me. I heard the rest of them a little further down the hall, but I saw that one room had the door open to my right. I peaked in a saw Chad by himself.

"So this is your room, huh?" I asked, jokingly. He was putting his bag down and hanging his tiger hook swords on the wall next to his bed.

"Yeah, guess so..." He barely looked up.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe with my arms crossed. He was always quiet when something was up.

"Nuthin'... Just...thinking..."

"About...?"

"About...well...a lot of things."

"Like...?"

"Just... I don't know. I've been thinking, and... Maybe... Maybe I should just...stay here." He looked up at me, confused. "I want to change myself. I don't like who I am back home, and I want to have a clean slate...start a new life with a second chance... Am I crazy?"

I sighed before walking over. "No, not at all. I was contemplating it myself, actually. But I'm needed home with my family. I want to fix the mistakes I've made. But you already have, and I feel that I you want that second chance and you truly want to stay here..." I sighed again, "then...I think it would be good for you."

He shared a small smile with me. "I knew you'd say something like that. It just feels..._right_. I want that chance to have a fresh start, ya know?" He breathed deeply. "When our group started fighting, they were only maybe ten guys. But then Lily was hit, and a ton more showed up. She was screaming in pain, and we were completely outnumbered. But rather than killing us all off, the guards helped us probably out of pity. They are nice people, and I feel like this is my one chance to start again. Do you think this is what's best for me? I feel like this is risk I have to take."

"Yes, I know _exactly _what you mean. And right now...as much as I don't want to let one of my best friends go..." I trailed off looking away from him. We told each other _everything _we ever did or experienced. We trusted each other with every detail of our lives, and we gave each other advice on everything. I was going to miss him so much...

"Come here," he said. I turned toward him and saw that he was crying. And apparently I was too, for the fact that I could barely see him through the tears. He was holding out his arms for a hug, and I immediately hugged him back.

"Take care of yourself, okay?" I said. "Don't go around looking for trouble, and try not to hit on _every _girl you see."

He laughed at me with that small little chuckle of his. "I'll try not to look for trouble."

"How did I know you'd say that?" I said, laughing as well now. I wiped the tears off my face and hugged him harder. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'll miss you too. Don't tell the other yet though. I don't want them to have to worry about me, too."

"But of course you put it all on me..." I said, stepping back. I folded my arms and glared at him jokingly.

"Of course..."

"You are such a friggin' jerk!"

"You know you love me..."

"You suck." I hugged him again before walking to the door. "Have you at least seen _every_ episode of the show?"

"Only about three times."

"Just checking..." I smirked and closed the door behind me. I walked down the hall looking for the others, but it was oddly quiet now. They must've been over by the girls' rooms already. I peeked into each of the guys' rooms as I walked past. Mike was putting his stuff around the room in a...well...completely unorganized fashion. Ray just threw his stuff on his bed and left the room. I wondered where he was until I came to Cody's room.

The door was closed, so I knocked twice but got no answer. I slowly slid the door open.

"Cody...? You there...?" I looked around before seeing that he was sound asleep on his bed. He still had no shirt due to the fact that he old one was God-knows-where and the new one was ripped up to stop the blood.

Whoops.

His torso was bare other than the bandages wrapped around his stomach area. He breathed deeply and slowly, each breath seemed to cause him a small fraction of pain, even in his sleep. I winced at the thought of not even getting true rest in your sleep before walking over to the end of the bed and sitting down.

When Katara wasn't looking, I'd slipped on one of her waterskins incase someone needed healing. I'd give it back to her later, of course. I popped open the cap and poured water over my hands, having it stick to me like metal to a magnet once again. I bent over him and slowly laid my hands over the bandage and moved my hands around slightly, making the bandages and my hands start to glow blue. I looked at his face to see if I'd woke him up, but I saw his expression relax slightly instead. I breathed a sigh of relief and put my hands back on the waterskin to let it flow back in.

I backed out of the room slowly with a small smile and shut the door behind me.

I walked down the hallway further, seeing Aang putting his stuff down in his room as well. I continued walking down the hall until I came to the door leading outside. I looked around on the platform but couldn't see anyone, anywhere.

"Guys...?" I looked around for the closest building, hoping to find the girls' rooms but couldn't see anything. "Hey guys!" I called out.

"Up here!" I looked directly above me to see that on the balcony were Brie, Katara, Ty Lee, Toph, and Ray.

"How do I get up there?" I called back.

"Try the huge ramp to your left!" Brie called. I looked over and didn't see anything at a first glance. Then I looked again and saw that what looked to be a swirling staircase was a huge ramp.

"Awesome! I'll be up in a second!" I ran over to the ramp and started climbing. I got exhausted pretty quick, due to everything that went on today. When I got to the top, I dropped to my knees. "I think I need a little rest..." I sighed, breathing heavily. Brie ran over and sat next to me.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just..._exhausted_," I breathed. The others came over too.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked. "Do you need healing? I can go get - Wait a second! Is that my waterskin?"

"I needed it to work on Cody..." I breathed again.

"Keep it. I have three more, anyway."

"Thanks."

"Can you get up?" Brie asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright." I got on one foot and tried to stand. Brie grabbed my arm and helped pull me to my feet.

"Alright, come on, Lover Girl One," Toph complained. I raised an eyebrow.

"Lover Girl One?"

"Yeah. Mei's Lover Girl Two. And I changed Zuko and Cody's nicknames to Fireflakes and Flameo."

"I'm sure they'll just love that..." I said, rolling my eyes.

I looked around and realized that Lily wasn't there at all. Then I saw her in the corner, looking out over the area. She wanted nothing to do with us now, I guess. I found it odd though because more than likely, she'd be talking to anyone who wasn't me or Mike even if the others were my friends. But I guessed that this time was different because everyone had finally experienced the _real_ Lily.

"This way," Toph said, leading. We all followed except for Ty Lee and Ray. They stayed, looking over the balcony together with Ray holding Ty Lee around the waist and her resting her hand on his shoulder. I crept over to a nearby water fountain and listened in on their conversation.

"Tomorrow is going to be the hardest day of my life," Ray said. He breathed deeply as he looked out at the view. The wind was blowing and his long, brown hair blew around wildly. I raised my eyebrows about how much he really cared about Ty Lee. I'd never seen him act this serious before in my life.

"Me too..." Ray hugged Ty Lee harder and kissed her head.

"I don't want to let you go."

"Well, we might as well make the best of today, right?"

"Yeah..." But still, neither of them moved.

"I don't want to let you go!" Ty Lee suddenly yelled. She threw herself into Ray and cried into his chest. I teared up at the sight. Ray hugged her back and laid his face on her head.

"I don't want to let you go either." He took her long braid in his hand and wrapped it around, feeling the touch of it for what little time he had left with her.

They stood there crying with each other, never wanting to let go. I couldn't bare it any longer, even if I knew that this could be the wrong decision.

"Then..._don't_," I said. I walked over from where I was sitting and they both turned to look at me. Ray was actually crying. It was the first time I'd seen him cry since we first met at two-years-old. My only big brother this upset tore straight through my heart. I knew I had to do this.

"Stay here with her, Ray. You love her and she loves you. Don't just give up on her."

"But..." He looked to Ty Lee, and she smiled, wanting Ray to stay more than ever. "What about Mom and Dad? And...T.J.?" He was referring to his parents and older brother. I knew that he was probably one of the few kids I knew that had the same relationship I did with my family. He wouldn't be able to let them go, either.

"I can tell them some story, and even though we'll all miss you...you'll be happy, right?" I said through tears. I was about to lose another person I've trusted and loved dearly. This was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

"_No."_ Ray and I turned to Ty Lee. "I won't rip apart your family. I've never had a true family to love, but I can't ruin your relationship with yours. It's not right, and I won't stand for it!"

Ray and I looked at each other and back to Ty Lee.

"So..." he started, "you're gonna let me go...?" He started tearing up again, and I almost cried for him.

"_No way!_ You two are not being separated! This isn't fair!" I went into deep thought, thinking of a way for them to stay together. "I've got it! Ty Lee, come back home with us! You can start a new life with us! But you can still stay with Ray!"

They looked at each with hope.

"But where would I stay?" she asked. That thought stumped me. She couldn't stay with Ray. They'd just be creepy...

"What about Mei?" Ray asked.

I shook my head. "Her parents are having enough problems as it is."

"What about Brie?" Ty Lee asked.

I shook my head again. "She has three siblings already, and none of them are what you'd call _easy_."

"What about one of the guys?" Ray asked. "It's not like they're dating. It could be a brother-sister thing, you and I."

"That's true, I guess..." I started.

"Chad!"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"You'll find out tomorrow." Ray looked at me, puzzled, but I moved on. "I doubt that Cody needs more problems with his parents. I mean, getting that gaping hole in his gut needs a bit of explaining, and I doubt that his family can handle that plus another kid."

"True..."

"What about Mike?" Ray looked at me in thought. "He has one brother and a sister. The sister loves cheerleading and gymnastics, so Ty Lee may even get to help her with some stuff!"

"That's great!" Ty Lee squealed.

"And his parents are wonderful! You'd love them!"

"I'm gonna have a family now!" Ty Lee stepped away a little and walked on her hands, followed by a back-hand spring...or two...or three...or four...

Ray and I laughed hysterically.

"Well, you'd have to share a room with his sister, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind."

"Do you have any idea how many of us were in one room in my _old_ family?"

"Very true..."

"That's great! We can stay together!" Ray said. He walked over to Ty Lee and swung her around, ending with a kiss full on the lips. I smiled.

"Don't forget to ask Mike about it later!" I called, heading over to the girls' rooms. They continued their kiss, ignoring me, completely. I'll do it myself, then...

I walked inside and peaked into each room, looking around for the others. I came to the first room and saw Lily sulking in the corner. I tried to get away as quickly and quietly as possible.

The second room was Brie's. She starting putting her things away, so I continued down the hall.

The next one was Toph's. And after that, I found Katara in her room.

"Hey," I said, walking in. She turned to me and smiled.

"Hey yourself," she said. "I'll show you to yours and Mei's room. Ty Lee's is right next to mine, so she can find it on her own."

"Yeah...she's a little busy at the moment anyway." I laughed and Katara was confused.

"Do I want to know?"

"Ray."

"Aww! How sweet!"

"It's about time Ray found someone decent. Ty Lee is going to come back with us when we go home."

"That's great!" Katara paused, in thought.

"What's wrong?"

"How are you guys going to get back?"

**CLIFFY! DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUN! XD I know this chapter was probably the longest, but I wanted to get in all of the details to prepare for the next chapter! I hope you guys liked it! And again, I'm extremely sorry for such a long wait. For those of you that stayed with me, cookies! *Throws cookies everywhere.* Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six: Sunsets

**Sorry for the long wait again! I've been going through a bit of a rough time lately, and it's been hard to find the will to write something. But you don't have to wait any longer! For this...is a new chapter! :D**

**At the end of this chapter, there's a part that's based on one of my favorite songs. It's by Red and it's called "Forever." And it's just a little tribute to someone special in my life, and I hope that you all listen to the song to see how much I truly appreciate this person.**

**So a big thanks to the Cody in my life. As dense as you are, you're there for me when I need you most. ;)**

Chapter Twenty-Six: 

_*Zuko*_

I felt the heat of the sun on my face as my eyes started to flutter open. The first thing I was consciously aware of was the fact that my head was pounding, and my chest was extremely sore. I slowly pushed myself to sit up and looked around the room.

And there she was.

Mei was dead asleep on the bench at the far end of my room.

And the flashback hit me with the full force of a tidal wave.

I winced in pain.

I stood up quickly but sat back down from the dizziness I felt. This time I stood up slower and quickly walked across the room. I sat down on the floor next to the bench she was laying on and kissed her on the cheek. Her eyes slowly cracked open and she moaned.

"Zuko...?" I nodded, and her eyes snapped open. "ZUKO!" She jumped up and threw herself on top of me, small tears streaming down her cheeks. I groaned a little at the pain I felt but ignored it. I cupped her chin in my hands and we stared into each other's eyes.

"I thought..." she sobbed, "I thought I was losing you."

I gently rubbed the tears off her cheeks with my thumbs. "I would do anything for you. You know that."

"But it's not worth losing you!"

Then I pressed my lips to hers and I held her on my lap, sitting there quietly for a long time. My hands made their way into her hair and she wrapped her arms around my waist, and she held onto me like her life depended on it.

"_I love you,"_ I whispered in her ear. She kissed me again before responding.

"_I love you too."_

"This is _so_ going on Facebook!"

We both spun around to see everyone standing in the doorway, cell phones taking pictures and video.

"How do those even work here?" I asked, frustrated.

"Their battery operated. Duh!" Mike stated.

"Who here has a Facebook?" Chad asked loudly. Chad, Mike, Mei, and Brie all raised their hands.

I slapped myself in the forehead. _"Wonderful..."_

"Alright, come on guys," Nick said. "Get your butts to the main platform. Katara and I made breakfast."

"_You_ actually _cooked_ something?" Mei asked, astounded. Nick narrowed her blue eyes.

"Yeah, I did! So ha!" She stepped out of the room with everyone following behind her but Mei and I.

"Breakfast?" she asked me.

I pressed my lips to hers one more time. "Sure."

We walked outside holding hands and Nick clapped twice, loudly.

"Bravo! Bravo!" she shouted. Everyone turned to look at us and went, "Awww!"

"Oh, just shut up," Mei said. She kissed me again, and most of them looked away. I laughed.

"You're so adorable when you're pissed," I told her.

"I think I'm gonna throw up," Mike said as he walked over to Nick and grabbed a plate of food.

I sat down with Mei in the circle of people between her and Cody. I had to say, since the time I met everyone, I'd become best friends with Cody pretty quickly. I looked around and did a quick headcount when I realized we were missing two people.

"Hey, where's Aang?" I asked Cody.

"Oh, he went to go get Appa. They're leaving today."

"What? Why?"

"They live all the way on the other side of the world. They have to go back sometime."

"Yeah...I guess you're right." Don't get me wrong, I knew they'd have to go back to the South Pole eventually, but I felt like we hadn't gotten to spend any time together. Aang, Katara, and Toph, (even Sokka) were the only family I really had in the days after I left the Fire Nation. I just didn't want to see them go so soon.

Aang came back with Appa after a few minutes and grabbed some breakfast too.

After awhile, all of us had finished eating and just sat around and talked. I talked with Aang, Cody, and Mike. Ray, Chad and Ty Lee had their little huddle. Nick, Mei, Brie, Katara and Toph found that they had a lot more in common than they thought too. We laughed and joked like a family. But after awhile, it was time for them to go.

"Goodbye Nick," Katara said to her. "Look, I'm sorry for how I got jealous of you when you used your healing the first time I met you. I just do that sometimes."

"Don't worry about it. I just want to thank you for teaching me." They hugged and said their goodbyes before Katara then walked over to me.

"Goodbye, Katara," I said to her. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. "I just want to thank you for everything you've taught me and everything you've done for me. You gave me that second chance I didn't deserve, and you really helped change me."

"I'm the one that should be thanking you. You taught me how to forgive people, and I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

We hugged each other and she walked over to Appa.

I looked over to Nick and saw that Chad was telling everyone something.

"I've decided...to stay." Everyone gasped in shock except for Nick.

"But...why?" Cody asked.

"I want to start over. And I feel like this is my chance. I'll miss you guys, but it's time for me to start again."

"Group hug!" Ray called out. All of them got in on it.

"Bye Nick," Chad said. "And thank you." He hugged her and she hugged him back.

"Take care of yourself, okay? And don't do anything stupid." He laughed and hugged her tighter.

"I'll miss your annoying parenting." Nick smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes as they pulled apart. Chad hopped up onto Appa.

"And I'm going with you guys!" Ty Lee shouted.

"_!"_ Mike screamed.

After all of us said our goodbyes, I still hadn't said anything to Aang. They all piled onto Appa and were ready to take off when I stopped them.

"Wait!" I yelled. Aang turned to look at me. He slid off Appa's neck and stood in front of me.

"You've taught me so much. And I've never gotten the chance to thank you," I said at last.

He looked up at me and stepped forward. And at the same time, we hugged each other.

"There's no need to thank your brother," Aang said. "But I'm thanking you anyway."

We finally let go, and he got back onto Appa. We all waved goodbye, and Appa took off into the air. He climbed higher in the sky and away from the canyon before he was finally out of sight.

"Well...that's it then," Nick said with a sigh.

"Wait...who are we missing then?"

"Wait, what?" Cody asked, confused.

"Well, I did a head count before. We were missing two people. Aang was the first, but who was the second?"

All of us looked around. Nick counted us off.

"Me, you, Cody, Mike, Mei, Brie, Ty Lee, Ray... Oh... Were you counting...Matt?"

All of us stayed silent for a minute.

"No... I wasn't counting him."

"Oh..."

More silence.

"Well... Who are we missing?" Mei asked.

More silence.

"I think I know," I said at last. I looked over at Mike who pretended not to hear anything. He was staring into space, as he sat on the fountain's edge, but I knew what he was thinking. "Lily."

Nick looked away from me. Mike continued to stare into space. The other stayed quiet.

"Since no one else seems to care, I guess I'll go look for her, myself...since I was the one that hit her anyway."

"Mike, why aren't you worried?" Mei suddenly asked. Mike just stayed quiet. "Mike!"

"What?" he snapped, his eyes narrowed. All of us were taken aback...except Nick. He never got upset like this.

"Lily's missing. Or were you too zoned out to not hear us?"

"Oh, I heard you." He stood up and started walking away to his room. "I just don't care." And then he was gone.

"What's his problem?" Mei asked out loud.

"Same as mine," Nick said. I looked to her, and she was pissed too. "She hurt him, and she hurt me. Why are we supposed to care?" Nick then left quietly to her room as well. Brie followed behind her.

Now it was just Mei, Ray, Ty Lee, Cody and I. And the only two people that used to have a reason for caring about her, no longer did.

Ray stood up and walked away abruptly. Ty Lee followed him.

"I don't know about you guys," he said, as he walked away, "but if someone hurt my friend that badly, why should you care? I'm sticking by my sister on this one."

Now it was just Mei, Cody and I.

"Wait, why are you still here?" I asked Cody. "Shouldn't you be on Nick and Mike's sides?"

"It's not a matter of sides. It's a matter of a person being lost and possibly hurt. What are we gonna do? Just let her die?"

"I'm right here!" Lily said, storming out of a nearby building. All of us snapped our heads in her direction. "None of them really care, do they?"

"They have good reason not to!" Brie said, coming from the girls' rooms. "You hurt Nick and Mike! What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem. I stayed back there for two hours to see what would happen if I went missing. And no one noticed until just now."

"Because no one cares, dammit! Why should they?"

"Because they're my friends!"

"They may be your friends, but what have you been to them? You do nothing but insult them at their worst points, push them down when their at a high point, stomp them to the ground at a low, and trick them into thinking there could be more to you!"

"What are you-?"

"You did nothing to Nick but push her down and insult her all through the time you two were actually 'friends'. Well you know what? She doesn't deserve a bitch like you to tell her what's wrong with her! Even the first time I met you, you told me how Nick was so dramatic and emotional when the poor girl was getting you blankets to sleep over her friggin house!"

"I was only joking..."

"You don't know what joking is!"

"What about Mike? I like him! I haven't done anything to him!"

"That's the point! Not once have you ever done anything for him! He likes you, and you're just tormenting him by making him think you like him back, when, in turn, nothing has happened! The poor kid's sinking in depression because of you!"

"He is not!"

"Yes he is! You really are a cold-hearted bitch, aren't you?"

"Guys! Stop!" Cody shouted. "Enough! Just leave her alone already."

"So you're standing up for her when Nick's in her room bawling her eyes out because you won't stick by her? Some boyfriend you are."

"She has a point you know," I said. Cody looked at me. "Have you ever sat down and actually talked to her about how much pain she's in?"

"She told me what Lily drove her to do, and I told her how horrible it was to be driven to that."

"Maybe she needs a little more from you," Mei mumbled.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You don't have to hate Lily. But you don't have to rub it in her face either."

"What do you-?"

"How about when you do that dumbass waving game when Nick is sitting right near you?" Brie asked

"That's just-"

"Like old times? Well how do you think it makes her feel? That's right, you don't know," she finished.

"Why don't you just go in there and do something she's always saying she wishes you'd do? Be there for her," Mei said.

"How?" he asked.

"For Roku sakes, even _I'm_ not that dense!" I said, finally. "Go put your arms around her and tell her that everything's gonna be okay!"

Cody stood up and nodded to us.

"Thanks."

And he started away...but then broke into a run.

_*Nick*_

Why can't anyone see what she's done to me? I wish someone...anyone...could know how much pain she put me through without dealing with it themselves...

No.

I just want Cody to know.

I sat there with my knees pulled up to my chest and put my face in my legs, crying hard. I was sobbing so much that I was gasping for breath at this point.

I heard footsteps running toward my room, but I didn't even bother to get up and see who it was. I didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered.

I didn't even budge when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Just...just go away," I said. "I'm fine on my own."

Still, the person didn't move. But I didn't care. I kept crying.

Then, the arm made its way around my shoulders and pulled me into their chest. I stopped sobbing for a minute to look at the person with tears staining my cheeks.

"Cody...?"

"It's okay." He pulled me closer to him and sat me on his lap like he did a few times last summer. He didn't know it, but it was special to me because it was the first time someone had done that since my dad died.

I felt his chest rise and fall with his each breath he took, and I felt the sun warm my back as I wrapped my arms around his stomach and cried into his shoulder.

But now they were tears of joy.

He's here for me.

And as if reading my thoughts, I felt him kiss the top of my head and he gently rubbed my back.

"It's alright."


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Independence

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Independence

_*Zuko*_

"Hey Mike?" I knocked on his bedroom door. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," he replied, dully. I slid the door open and shut it behind me as I walked in. "What's up?" he asked, monotone.

"I know this isn't exactly the best time in the world for you, but I wanted to talk to you about your necklace." I stepped toward him, and he pulled it out of his shirt. We'd changed back to our normal clothes once we settled in. He studied it for a minute with me.

"It protected me from the firebenders at the palace. I don't know why though."

"That's what I wanted to ask you about. Where did you get it?"

"Well, I bought it myself. I don't know how it could've done that though."

"I think I know how we can find out. Come on. We're gonna go find out."

_*Later that night...*_

"Be careful, okay?" Mei said. Ray, Mike, Cody and I decided that we'd be going to the Sun Warrior Temple to find out what they or the last two dragons possibly knew about the necklace. It took a long argument between Nick and I to convince them to stay here...

_*Flashback*_

"_No! You're not going by yourselves! We have to stay together!" Nick told me._

"_No. You guys have been through enough already...you and Mei especially. Just stay here, rest up, and we'll be back in a few days."_

"_I know this place is harmless since you've been there before, but you never know what could happen! Please! Just let us come!"_

_I looked at her long and hard with tears in my eyes. "No. We'll be back soon enough."_

"_You can't do this! You can't do this to Mei!"_

"_Is it Mei you're worried about? Or is it yourself?" I regretted what I said as soon as I said it. Her head snapped away from me as if I'd slapped her. She clenched her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. "Wait... I didn't mean to-"_

_But she ran out of the room before I could say another word._

_*End Flashback*_

I regretted hurting her so much. But she needed to rest, and I couldn't risk more people to possibly be hurt than necessary.

I pulled Mei into my chest and smoothed her hair. I kissed the top of her head. _"I love you," _I whispered in her ear. She gripped me tighter and kissed me full on the lips.

"I love you too. Be careful...please."

"I will be." I kissed her one last time on her forehead and walked away.

I hugged Brie and Ty Lee goodbye. Lily was nowhere to be found. I didn't get to say goodbye to Nick quite yet. I watched as her and Cody talked from behind the water fountain.

"Please be careful," Nick said to him. She hugged him and ran her fingers through his hair. He hugged her back and kissed her on the head.

"I will be. It's ok." Nick nodded.

"Can you please tell me something?" she asked, abruptly pulling away from him. He kept his hand around her waist and she held him around his waist as well. At first, she didn't look up, but just kept her head down.

"Uh...yeah."

She looked up at him, and stared straight into his eyes. She took a deep breath. "Do you...do you like me?" He looked at her with evident confusion. She looked down again and explained. "It's just that...you only told me you liked me when you first asked me out. I mean...you never tell me how you feel, and I feel like you don't care anymore..." Nick looked back up at him with tears in her eyes. "Just...tell me the truth."

"I...I like you." Tears stung his eyes, and they turned slightly pink. I couldn't tell if Nick noticed this or not, but she pressed him.

"Then...tell me that. You can tell me how you feel. I mean, it's part of a relationship you know," she said. She laughed, a very hallow sound...a sad sound. "It's okay. I mean, what is it? Do you have a hard time showing your emotions, maybe...? That's okay you know."

"I dunno... I guess...yeah. I do have a hard time showing how I feel. I just...don't know how."

"That's okay," she said, sweetly. She looked up at him again and smiled. "It's part of learning how to have a relationship, right?"

"I dunno...I guess...I dunno."

They stayed quiet for a minute. Neither one would look each other in the eye for awhile, until they looked at each other at the same time. They stared at each other...and then Cody looked away. I stood there gaping at the scene, wondering what the hell went wrong just then. Nick looked past him, and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I put you through. You liked me for so long... You didn't deserve to be treated like that." Tears met her eyes again. I shook my head as I watched my sister try to grasp at something out of her reach. I wanted to go over there and hold her up high so she could grab it... But I'm not what she needs to get to that point.

"It's okay," he said. He hugged her back and kissed her quickly on the cheek. "It's okay." She nodded in his arms and then she pulled back and kissed him on the cheek again.

"So...can we try...?" she asked. It broke my heart to watch her suffer like this.

"I dunno..." He shrugged. "Guess so..." He smiled at her, but it seemed..._forced._ I don't think she noticed though because she smiled back and hugged him one last time.

"Be careful." She kissed him on the cheek again, and he kissed her as well. I walked away from the sight trying to make sense of it all.

Just then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw Nick standing there.

"Hey... Look, I-"

"No, wait. Let me go first."

"No, let me. You were right. I was being selfish. Go have fun on your little adventure. I'm sorry I did that to you."

"No, Nick. I was wrong for saying that. I had no idea what you were going through. It's my fault." She put her head down and looked away. I sighed. "Come here." I stepped over to her and hugged her into my chest. She laid her head in my shoulder and hugged me around the waist. "It's okay. We'll be back."

"I know." She pulled back and smiled at me. "Be careful."

"I will be...promise."

I walked away as Nick said goodbye to Mike.

"Good luck with the necklace," she said.

"Yeah, thanks..."

"No problem. Be careful, alright?"

"I will be. And I'll make sure your boyfriend doesn't do anything stupid." He smirked at her, and she laughed lightly.

"Thanks..." He looked at her with a questioning stare, but Nick just tilted her head to the side. "What?"

"If you don't want to tell me...then nothing," he said with a shake of his head. He started to walk away.

"Thank you. I'll be fine," she said. He turned to her and nodded with a small wave. She nodded back with a wave.

And so... we departed.

_*Nick*_

An hour later, we were all sitting around the campfire, trying to get dinner going.

"Just a little more..." I said, rubbing the two sticks together. They were red-hot, but only smoke rose from them. "Almost got it..." In a spark, a small flame erupted from the wood. _"Yes!"_ I threw the wood in the logs and got the fire going.

"Nice job," Brie complimented. I smirked.

"I guess I learned a thing or two at camp last year."

"Show off," Mei muttered. Brie, Ty Lee and I laughed.

"Well hey, you're the only one here that can cook, so you should get a move on," I added.

"Sucks for you. I'll get started when I'm ready." She sat down and folded her arms. I raised my eyebrows and looked to Brie and Ty Lee, mouthing, _three...two...one..._ "Damn it! I'm hungry too!" She got her things and went to work.

"So what's been going on with you and Ray?" I asked Ty Lee.

"Oh, we're great! I've never been so happy!" She smiled, glowing and clapped. Brie, Mei and I laughed.

"That's so cute!" Brie jeered.

"I'm really happy for you guys," I said, smiling.

"What about you and Cody?" she asked me. I looked down.

"We're...getting there..." Thankfully, Mei took the hint and changed the subject.

"Zuko and I are getting closer. The other night we did a stupid game of twenty questions, and it got real deep," she bragged. I laughed light-heartedly.

"Cody and I did that too," I said.

"How do you play?" Ty Lee asked. Brie, Mei and I gave each other quizzical looks.

"Uh...you ask a person a question, they have to answer it, and then they ask you a question until you have 20 each so you learn about each other..." Mei said, extremely slowly. I laughed under my breath.

"Oh ok! Ray and I should play that!" We all rolled our eyes. "What?"

"Oh nothing..." I said.

We basically continued our conversations like that for awhile. I tried to keep the conversation away from me. I was a little worried about Cody and I...

"Hey, Nick!" Mei said. "You there?" She waved her hand in my face trying to get my attention. "Dinner's ready."

"Oh okay. Sorry, I'm just a little out of it..." She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine." She nodded and handed me my food.

"Lily still isn't here," Ty Lee said. "We can't let her starve."

I thought for a minute. I walked over to Mei and took Lily's dish. "I'll give it to her." I wasn't sarcastic or bratty. I just wanted to at least have the tension cease. I walked toward our rooms and entered the building. The halls were eerily quiet as I made my way down. I stopped when I came to Lily's door and knocked twice.

"Come in."

I slid the door open and stepped inside with the food.

"I brought you dinner," I said, calmly. Inside, I wanted to punch her...run from her...throw the food at her. But instead, I walked over the bench she was sitting on and sat down next to her, placing the food between us. "You can't starve you know." She didn't look up. She just kept playing with the necklace she wore that Mike gave to her a long time ago.

"_Leave."_ The word was almost hissed as she whispered it. I narrowed my eyes but tried to stay calm.

"Fine by me." I stood up and turned to her. "I don't need to do anything for someone that tormented me all that time..." I walked to the door and stood in the entryway for a second. "And neither does Mike."

"_Excuse me?"_ she hissed again. "What did you say?"

"I said...Mike doesn't deserve a bitch like you. He deserves more than that. He's an amazing friend, always trying to make everyone else happy and laugh... You? You just lead him on and give him nothing in return."

"That's not true! I buy him presents for his birthday and holidays!"

"You really are as clueless as he thinks." I shook my head. "You've hurt him enough already. Just...leave him alone."

I shut the door behind me.

_*The next day...*_

"Leave them alone!"

"I'm not doing anything anymore!"

I ran down the hall as I heard the screaming get louder.

"What's going on?" Mei shouted as she came up next to me.

"I don't know, but I think Brie and Lily are fighting!"

We kept running until we came outside. Sure enough, the two were yelling at each other.

"Do you have any idea how much pain you caused Nick?" Brie screamed. Her fists were shaking.

"Now I do! I didn't know before!"

"Oh, sure! You had no idea you were hurting one of your friends!" Brie yelled, sarcastically. "Same thing how you do it to Mike!"

"I do not! Mike and I are fine!"

"_Hey! STOP!" _I yelled. I finally got their attention. "Brie, I appreciate you trying to help us, but please, let me handle this." Brie narrowed her eyes but said nothing. "Lily, you are hurting him. Build a bridge..." I trailed off, and simultaneously, Mei and I said, "And get over it."

Lily narrowed her eyes and shook her head at us. "You're lying!"

"Have you ever asked? No! All you care about is being with him," I said, putting air quotes around 'with'. "Just stop hurting my best friend!"

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are! You just don't care about him the way he cares about you!"

She glared at me with venom in her eyes. She looked to Brie and Mei as well, but both of them glared back at her.

"She's right," Mei said to her. "Mike likes you, and you don't care as much as he does."

"Just leave Mike and Nick alone!" Brie yelled.

"Fine! When we get home, I'm out of here! I didn't ask to be part of this stupid game! I don't have this gash on my shoulder because I wanted to play fucking soldier! I'm done with all of you!" She turned around and stormed away to her room.

Just then, Ty Lee walked outside.

"Did I miss something?" she asked.

"Little princess wants out," Brie stated.

"Oh, I see."

"_Finally..."_ I muttered.

_*That night...*_

All day, Lily hasn't come out of her room. I don't blame her. It's not like she likes any of us anyway.

I'm worried about the guys. I wish they'd be back soon.

And with Cody and I...something's...changed. I'm not sure what, but I know that whatever it is...

I don't like it.

"Guys! Look!" Mei said. We were outside, and all of the guys came running toward us from the opposite side of the platform. "You're back!" Mei and Zuko ran to each other and he swept her up into a hug and kiss.

Ray ran to Ty Lee and they...well...made-out.

Mike ran over to me with Cody following behind.

"Okay," he started, breathlessly, "ends up that we were right about the Black Lotus here and on Earth being connected. This necklace was brought to Earth by a firebender. No one knows who, but we'll have to find that out later."

"So basically, there are firebenders on Earth?" I asked. Mike nodded.

"Yeah, so that could mean it's _anybody."_

"Great..." I said, rolling my eyes. I smirked. "Though, this could be fun."

Zuko walked over with Mei. "It has to be our job to find out who brought the necklace to Earth, and if they're part of the Black Lotus Organization. If we find them and they aren't part of the Black Lotus, then they could probably help us."

"Good point," Mei said. "One problem though. The Earth is so damn huge! How are we supposed to find them?"

"My bet is on the fact that it's someone we know," I said. "We can probably figure it out. I mean, they'd probably know my dad or at least my family. We can start our search there."

"Yeah," Mike agreed.

I looked over at Cody, and he seemed to avoid my gaze. He didn't even say hi to me when they got back.

I stepped away from the group and made eye-contact with Cody. I gestured toward the boy's dorms and his room, and he soon followed. We made our way down the hall to his bedroom, and I shut the door behind us.

"What's up?" he said. My eyes widened.

"Umm...you didn't even say hi to me when you got back. Is there something wrong? I mean, is it that you didn't know what to say? Please talk to me, here."

We were a foot apart, and he hung his head, and put his hands in his jeans' pockets. "I dunno. I guess I just didn't know what to say."

I sighed. "Look... Is this...is..._us_...going to work?" I looked away from him and brushed the tears from my eyes. "I'll be honest with you. I want it to. I really care about you. And I'm willing to wait for you to be ready for us. But you need to tell me how you feel too, otherwise I don't know how this is going to work."

He shrugged. "I just...I dunno. I feel like...like... Maybe we're just taking this way too seriously, ya know? I mean, I just wanna goof off and be a kid. We have plenty of time for growing up and having relationships."

I stayed quiet. I was speechless. My worst fears about our relationship...were realized.

"Maybe it's me. I guess I'm just..."

"Not mature enough for a relationship yet," we both said, simultaneously. We both laughed, but it was a hallow sound...no life behind it.

"So then...what do you want to do?" I asked. "Do you...want to take it...slower? Or...I can't believe I'm saying this," I said, shaking my head. "But maybe... Well, you tell me what you want. Don't worry about me. Just tell me the truth. I'll be fine." I knew deep down that because I cared about him enough, that whatever he said and whatever made him happy should make me happy. But the fact of the matter was that it still might hurt me.

"But that's the thing. I know...what I want, but I don't know how to say it. I mean, I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't worry about me. Please... Just... Just say it." I hung my head on my last words. I clenched my eyes and waited for what I knew would come next.

"Well...I think that maybe...I'm not ready for a relationship yet. I think...we should wait till we're older."

Tears threatened to fall over my eyes, but I forced them back. I couldn't upset him too. That would just make everything worse.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, him shifting on his feet, and me shaking all over.

"So that's it then?" I said, at last. "We're...over." My voice broke on the last word.

"But we don't have to be over," he said. A small spark of hope started in me. "I still like you. I will. But for now...we can just...be on hold." My heart sank, and the spark had water cascaded right onto it in one rush. "But remember when I asked you out and we were talking about how we were great friends?"

"How could I forget? You found me, remember?" I laughed...barely breathing. He laughed too, but it was a cold sound.

"Yeah. So...can we try for now, to go back to that? Just like the good old days? I want to keep that friendship for now."

I nodded. "Yeah...I'd like to try too. I'll just need some time, first."

"Yeah, but I still like you. And we'll try again when we're older, right?" He tried to make the blow easier, but all it did was give me false hope. As much as I wanted his words to be true, I knew that there wasn't a way of knowing, especially if I wanted to move on.

"When we're older, and you're ready...then...sure." I smiled at him, meakly.

We stood in silence for a few seconds before we closed the space between us and hugged. I breathed in his scent and took in his touch for what would be the last time for awhile. I didn't let tears even come near my eyes at this point. I was too numb to it all. I lifted my head and kissed his cheek softly one last time, and he kissed mine softly and gently. Then we pulled away.

"Goodbye, Cody," I said, walking to the door.

"For now," he replied.

"For now," I answered. I slid the door shut behind me.

And I walked away from Cody...my used-to-be shelter.

And made one of my own...

Inside myself.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Breakdown

**...**

**Please don't hurt me for being away! *cowers in fear* I had a rough transition into the new school year, so things haven't been easy around here. But I'm back, and ready to go!**

**Happy Holidays to everyone! And a Happy New Year too! :D**

**Oh, and for anyone who'd like to grab a pitchfork and steak Cody and Lily right now, they're out back. I'm just gonna grab my Keyblade. XD**

**PS; This would've been up weeks ago, but my laptop hasn't been working right...damn technology...**

**But I AM SO still here! And I'm not done with Spiritflame, The Flames of Death, or Cursed Blood, True Souls! So stay tuned!**

**This chapter is roughly based on Breaking Benjamin's "Breakdown." Hope you guys like it.**

**PSS; My computer went crazy again between the time I wrote this and the time I'm posting it. So now Valentine's Day is tomorrow. XD So Happy Early Valentine's Day as well!**

**And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...**

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Breakdown

_*Zuko*_

That night at dinner...something was..._off._

I walked onto the patio where I found Mei cooking by the fire. I came up behind her and put my arms around her little waist.

"Smells amazing..._but not as good as you_," I whispered playfully in her ear. She giggled and turned to face me, kissing me lovingly on the lips.

"_Thank you,_" she whispered into the kiss.

Then we heard a cough behind us.

"Oh, hey, Cody," Mei said, lightly. "Where's Nick?"

"Don't know." He shrugged and sat on one of the cushions by the fire. Mei rolled her eyes.

"Well, go on! Go get her! Dinner's ready."

Cody only shrugged. Mei and I exchanged a confused glace.

"Cody...go get Nick," Mei said. This time, he pretended he didn't hear her. "Cody!"

"_What?" _ he snapped. Mei and I were completely taken aback. But when I saw his expression, I knew something was wrong.

His eyes were red and squinted, as if fighting back tears. His cheeks were flushed in frustration and embarrassment. This was the first time I'd ever seen emotion escape from him..._ever._ And by the look on Mei's face, this was her first time too. Then her eyes widen in realization.

"I'm going to find Nick," she said, getting up.

"Mei, wait! What's-?"

"Stay here!" she called. She broke into a sprint toward the girl's rooms.

_..._

_*Nick*_

_Nothing..._

_Empty trance..._

_What...happened...?_

I sit on the floor of my room, staring at the wall.

I don't feel pain.

I don't feel sorrow.

I don't feel betrayal.

I don't feel at all.

There's just...

_Nothing left._

I pull back my black sweatshirt's sleeve...

_My arm...scarred forever..._

It starts to burn with an intense fire that needs to be put out. My head starts to hurt with a pounding rage that runs through my whole body. I shake with pain as I choke down a scream.

Without warning, my right arm latches to my left and I dig my nails into my skin. It's not enough to bleed, but I try to force it back with little prevail.

"Hey, Nick...?" someone calls from down the hall.

I recognize the voice immediately as Mei.

I struggle to pull my arm away, but it's too hard to resist the temptation... But no one's seen me doing this before...not even Mei...or Zuko.

Just as my nails fall deeper under my skin, Mei slides the door open.

Her eyes are wide with fear as she looks from my face stained with tears, my hair wild, and my body shaking back to my arm, beginning to bleed from my nails digging in. She takes a tentative step forward.

"_NO! Get back!"_ I heard my voice screech. I have no control over my actions or mind at this point, and I start to dig deeper into my arm. I react as Mei comes out of her stupor and lunges at me, I try to dig deeper faster.

She grabs both my wrists and pins them to the floor. I struggle to push her off, but my legs can't reach her from that position and my arms are too weak.

"_Why can't I push you off? I always could!" _I screeched again in rage as tears fell down my cheeks.

"It's because you're in your weakest state of mind right now. This is your weakness, and you need to learn to fight it Nick!"

I fell my lungs stretch from an exasperated scream. _"I don't want to fight it anymore! Just let me do it!"_

"Why? So you can die, Nick? Is that what you want?"

I cried harder and screamed louder. "_YES! THAT IS WHAT I WANT! What don't you understand? I've been waiting for death for years! But I'm not gonna kill myself! I just need to take away the PAAAAAIIIIIIIIIN!"_ I screeched and wrenched and twisted to get away from her, but she wouldn't let me up. _"LET ME GOOOOOOOOO!"_

"I won't let you!" Her voice broke as she spoke. "Nick, this isn't you! STOP IT! You're scaring me!"

I laughed insanely. "_Don't care," _I hissed. "_I just need the pain."_

"Nick, ENOUGH!"

"_!" _I twisted as hard as I could against her and I started to break free, but then threw her whole body down on top of me, releasing the air from my lungs.

"This isn't you! You don't want this!"

"_Yes I do! I want to take it all away!"_

"No you don't! Think about all the people you're hurting!"

"_Like who? Cody? He doesn't care about me! He never did! He just tore me in fucking HALF, leading me on like that!" _I screamed again.

"Fuck Cody! What about Ray, Brie, Zuko, your family, Mike...?"

"I..._I don't care!"_ Something started to click in my head, but I tried suppressing it.

"YES YOU DO! If you didn't care, you wouldn't have hesitated!"

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_ I screamed and stopped struggling. I started bawling my eyes out, but still, Mei wouldn't let go. "_I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"_

We sat like that for a few minutes before the door slid open wide. And guess who was standing there?

"Nick!" Zuko and Mike yelled. Next to him were Ray, Ty Lee, and Brie.

"I'm sorry!" I shouted between gasps of air. "I'm sorry!"

"What is going on?" Zuko yelled. "Mei, get off her!" Zuko ran over and kneeled down next to Mei.

"No! She tried cutting herself!" She held up my bad arm, dripping with cherry red blood. Ty Lee looked away, Ray shielding her. Mike's eyes grew wide as I looked at him, a defeated expression on my face.

Mike walked over slowly, and sat down to my left which faced the door. He picked up my arm, gore and all, and wiped away the blood with his bare hand. He squeezed my hand in his, squinting his eyes... Mike's form of crying.

"You could've come to me..." he said in a low voice.

"I'm sorry..." I said, tearing falling onto his hand as he raised it to wipe the tears off my face.

"Don't be sorry to me. Be sorry to yourself." I nodded and squeezed his hand back, gently.

"Hey, what's going-"

Everyone turned to the door.

Cody.

Tears filled his eyes and he ran off.

_..._

_*Zuko*_

"Everything packed?" I asked, walking into Nick's room. She put her black messenger bag over her head on her shoulder and nodded with a small smile. Her arm was wrapped in Mike's second black sweatshirt he brought. It was a tad bulky for her petite form, but she managed fine.

"It was so nice of Mike to give me his other sweatshirt. It keeps my arm nice and warm up in these freakin cold mountains," she said with a light laugh. I chuckled.

"Yeah, it's a tad cold for my liking too." I stepped back and let her through the door first.

"Thanks," she said, quietly.

"No problem," I said with a small smile.

We walked down the hallway toward the main landing, but suddenly she looked at me with an odd expression.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"How's...how's Cody?" she asked quietly. She looked down at the floor.

"He's...ok, I guess." I didn't want to tell her that seeing her that way last night devastated him, but I also couldn't tell her that since this morning, he hasn't said a word about it.

"Okay," she said. There wasn't any emotion behind it, so I couldn't tell if it really was okay.

"Ready to leave now?" Mei asked. She looked at me as if to say, 'how is she?' so I shrugged and mouthed 'she seems fine.'

"Everyone chorused a 'ready,' so we all started for the edge where the vines were to climb up and out of the mountains.

"Wait," Mei said. She pointed to Lily, slowly walking across the way. She stood at least five feet away from us.

"Okay, so what's the plan, man?" Ray asked me. I nodded to Nick.

"We need to find safety where we can get information about the White and Black Lotus Organizations. The places where that can happen are the capitals of each nation, and the closest one is the Northern Water Tribe. Obviously we can't walk there, but we'll find boats and make plenty of pit-stops to get there. Plus, that's where we'll be able to find Ursa and Iroh."

"Only problem now is how do we get up there?" Mike said. We all looked up uneasily at the vines next to the ledge. To get to them, you'd have to jump, grab on, and pull yourself up about 30 feet. And downward was a gray mist that led to nowhere.

"The biggest of us has to go first to test the vine. And the most gutsy has to go last," I added. "Since I'm oldest and tallest, we'd have to let me go first." I walked backward and everyone stood clear of me. I ran forward, gaining speed, until I finally jumped off the edge. I heard gasps as I reached up and grabbed the vine with my right arm, pulling my full body onto it. I started to pull myself up until I reached the top and gave them a 'thumbs up'.

The next to go was Lily, since if we didn't force her to go now, she'd never make it. She ran and jumped onto the vine and slowly made her way up. I grabbed her wrist and threw her next to me, roughly. She grunted and walked away.

The next to go was Ray and Ty Lee. Ty Lee went first all the way up and Ray soon followed. Her jump was slick a graceful while Ray's was klutzy and nearly missed. But they both made it up.

Brie was next who ran quickly and jumped on with ease. Yet it took her awhile to actually make it up.

Mei ran to the vine and jumped on the quickly out of all of us but me, being only slightly shorter than me and an inch taller than Ray.

Cody was next.

"You sure you can do this?" Mike asked him. Cody nodded. Nick looked away.

"I'll be fine."

He started at the fountain and ran as fast as he could to the edge. But at the last second, he hesitated before the jump.

"CODY!" Mike screamed. All of us gasped.

Nick and Mike ran to the edge as they saw Cody dangling from the edge with one hand. His eyes were wide and he groaned attempting to hang on.

"Give me your hand!" Mike shouted at him. Cody tried to reach up and Mike lay on the floor to reach it. They locked wrists.

"Grab his other hand!" At first, I didn't realize Mike was talking to Nick. But she was paralyzed in confusion.

"Nick!" Cody screamed. This shocked her out of it, and she reached over, grabbing his wrist.

"PULL!" Mike shouted. Both Nick and Mike struggled to crawl backwards while holding Cody. I could see their faces turning red, but then they managed to pull him back up.

The conversation that followed was spoken so low that none of us at the top could hear it, but it looked like Cody thanked Nick and they hugged. The anger in the air dissipated.

This time, Cody made it to the vine and managed to pull himself up, but lost all energy at the top. We pulled him the rest of the way up and Brie helped him focus on breathing right.

Then I looked down again and saw Mike and Nick arguing.

"I'm NOT leaving you down here! You go first!" Nick insisted.

"No, you! If I go first, then there's no one behind you to help you up. I can't leave you down here knowing that." Mike urged.

"That's the reason I won't leave _you _down here! Just go!"

"No! You're going first!"

"Guys!" I yelled down to them. "Up here, we agreed that Nick should go first since she's the girl."

Nick was...well...pissed.

"Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I can't handle myself enough to get the-"

"Nick," Mike said sternly. "I can't go up there knowing that something can happen to you. Now go."

Nick stood there, utterly stunned. She seemed to remember the night before when Mike was there for her and smiled.

"Thanks...but I feel the same way."

"Just go first...for me."

She finally nodded.

Nick came up with ease, and Mike immediately followed behind her.

**So what'd ya guys think?** **Dramatic, right? I felt that I needed to put that part in there to show how devoted Nick is to people, and the second part about her forgiving side. And of course we gave Cody some emotion and Mike some friendship.**

**Stayed tuned for the next chapter! :D**

**Comments and PMs are appreciated!**


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine: Personality

**Hello everyone! :D I am so excited to be writing the next chapter, and I think you guys will like it. I apologize for the delay in new chapters, but I've been going through another rough time, but I'm trying to get more chapters up. Also, I'm going to start putting dates in each chapter so you all know where we are in our story. And when we catch up, obviously it's present day. Reviews and PM's prompt me to write more and are highly appreciated. =3**

**Thanks: To an old friend who inspired me to write again. You know who you are. :)**

**Brief recap:**

**The gang's traveling to the Northern Water Tribe to discover information on the White and Black Lotus Organizations. Ursa and Iroh supposedly fled there after the destruction of the Fire Nation capital as well.**

**Nick had a mental breakdown but quickly recovered after realizing that her friends needed her, (namely Mike and Zuko). She has forgiven Cody, and they continue on their mission.**

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Personality

_*4/26/10, 3:30 a.m; Zuko*_

"Zuko...?"

I rubbed my eyes and craned my neck to look at the door of the tent. We'd used our blankets and some sticks to set up camp in the woods. The nights were cold, but we managed.

"Nick? That you?"

"Sorry to wake you... I couldn't sleep."

I stood and walked out of the tent, bending down as to not hit my head. I took her fragile, cold, tiny hands, and walked to the campfire, lighting it with a point of my finger and sitting on the grassy forest floor. Nick sat down next to me, and I pulled her close, hugging her shoulders as she leaned her head on me.

"Well...?" I asked, calmly. I felt her tense, and she grunted.

"You know me too well."

"I know you as well as any brother should."

She was quiet for a minute, deep in thought.

"Do you hate me?"

The question was so abrupt, I blinked. Then I laughed. "Yes, Nick, I hate you. That's why I'm up at three in the morning, hugging you by the fire."

She laughed once but her tone stayed serious. "Seriously speaking, why don't you all hate me? I hurt myself, which in turn hurt all of you."

"We love you. Yes, you hurt me and the others," she cringed at the words, "but we forgive you because we love you."

She burst into tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." She continued muttering over and over, so I pulled her closer and let her cry. But with every sentence, I replied, "It's okay." I closed my eyes and pulled her closer, rubbing her back for comfort. A few minutes later, the sobs ceased and she cried quietly. I looked up at the stars and hoped she knew how much we all cared and worried about her. I looked toward the tent when I heard a rustle of leaves and saw Mike standing there, calmly as always. He inclined his head toward Nick and furrowed his brows. I nodded.

"I think someone else wants to talk to you," I whispered. She rubbed her eyes and blearily looked to Mike and smiled through tears. "I'll let you guys catch up." I stood and walked back to the tent. When they thought I'd gone to sleep, I pulled back the tent and saw Mike sit with Nick, wiping the tears from her eyes and smoothed her hair. He pulled her into a hug, and she relaxed.

There was movement next to me and I heard heavy breathing. It could only be one person.

"Is she going to be happy?" Cody whispered to me.

I nodded. "With some care from us, you can distance yourself without her even noticing."

We smiled at the sound of Nick's little laugh into Mike's arms.

_*3:38 a.m; Nick*_

"You care about me that much?"

"Enough to put aside everything you claim to be 'bad,' then yes."

"But I've hurt you so badly. I...cut when you said I could go to you. I promised I would." I felt tears roll down my face. Mike pulled back gently and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"But I forgive you. That's what matters."

"I hate myself for hurting you...all of you."

"If you love me, you'll forgive yourself."

"Why?"

"Because I love and forgive you."

I sobbed and fell into his arms.

"I love you too."

"I know you do."

_*2:47 p.m; Zuko*_

"Does she have any idea?" Mike whispered to me.

"Probably not..." I replied.

Nick has some map she found in a magazine about my world. She wanted to guide us somewhere, but we have no idea if she knows where she's going.

"Nick, are you sure-?" I started.

"We're here!" All of us look up and see a huge mountain with a winding path up the side.

"You're not serious..." Mei groaned.

"I am. Do you recognize it?"

"No..."

Nick groaned in exasperation.

"You're groaning?" Ray yelled. "We've been walking for a week according to your interpretation of where we are based on a map that you found in some book!"

"You should know where we are if you watched every episode, _Ray, Mei_..."

"HAHA!" All of us stared at Brie laughing. "That rhymed!" She continued giggling but we all just glared. When she noticed, she stopped. "What?" Mike face-palmed.

Ray looked up and his eyes widened. "Oh f-!"

"Yep, that's right." I looked to Mike utterly confused, and he just shrugged.

"Nick, where _are_ we?"

In unison, Mei, Nick, Cody and Ray said, "The Northern Air Temple," only, Nick was joyful while Ray, Cody and Mei were monotone.

"We're gonna walk all the way up _there_?" Mike complained. I didn't blame him.

"Yup!" Nick replied. "I've always wanted to see what it was like. And here we are. Plus, we need to spend the night somewhere. We won't make it all the way to the North Pole by nightfall. We can get supplies here."

I shrugged. "Alright, let's go guys..." Groans were heard from the back of the group.

I whispered to Nick, "Would it kill these guys to be a bit more athletic?"

"They're lazy as shit. But if we're going to get out of here alive, we need to whip them into shape."

"Good point."

_*3:39 p.m; Nick*_

"We're here!"

All of us looked up to see the temple. It was monstrously sized with green roves, tall towers, and gliders everywhere in all of its glory. I was in awe.

"Hey Nick," Mei said, "how are we gonna get help from Teo if he doesn't know any of us? He doesn't even know Zuko."

I thought for a moment. "Wait, yes he does. When Zuko joined them at the Western Air Temple."

"But what happened after that episode? Teo didn't go with them to Ember Island."

I looked over to Zuko.

"Beats me," he said with a shrug. "The next time I saw him was at my coronation."

I nodded. "Maybe we can find out what happened."

The temple was enormous, and as we walked around, we realized it was more like its own town than anything else.

"Hey guys, I think we should split for a little and try to find some supplies and a place to stay. Zuko, Brie and Ray, go find a place we can spend the night. Zuko, you got money?"

"Yeah, some gold pieces."

"Cool. Ty-Lee, and Cody, go get some supplies from the shops. We need food, water, and some more blankets." I walk over and hand the money to Cody, looking down. "I trust you with the money." I looked up and he nodded silently. We paused for a minute, not saying anything. I turned away. "Lily, go with them," I shouted to her where she stood ten feet away from the rest of us. She walked next to Cody in silence. I narrowed my eyes, not trusting her.

"Mike, Mei and I will try to find Teo. Meet back here in an hour."

_*4:02 p.m; Zuko*_

"_Enough!"_ I shout at them. "If I hear one more word about unicorns and robot unicorns, I'll rip you two in half!"

"Geez, you're such a party pooper, Mr. Fire-Up-My-Ass," Ray said sarcastically.

"Why you bein' such a pouty penguin?" Brie said in a childish tone. I rolled my eyes.

"Excuse me, sir?" I tapped a man on the shoulder. When he turned, the three of us gasped.

He had brown, graying hair that stuck out on the sides with gray eyes, a huge moustache and beard. His eyebrows were burnt partly off, and he had wood in place of some of his fingers.

"Yes, can I help you young kids?"

"Uh, yes sir," I said, regaining composure. Though Ray and Brie stared... "Please, ignore my friends."

"Hey!"

"We're looking for a place to stay the night... And I normally don't use the title, but my name is Firelord Zuko, and I was hoping for some help."

"It is an honor to meet you, Firelord," he said with a bow. "There aren't any inns here or fancy places to stay, but you and your friends are welcome to stay with my son and I."

"Anything is fine, really. Thank you very much. But there are more of us, nine total."

"Yes, yes, that's fine. See, I'm sort of the mayor of this town. We brought ourselves here after our little Earth Kingdom town was flooded you see."

"How unfortunate," I said, pitying the poor man. "My apologies. But please, call me Zuko." I bowed to him politely.

"Thank you, sir. Come this way. My son Teo and his friends are here as well."

"I've actually met Teo before," I said.

"Really?"

"After the invasion of the Fire Nation...the first time."

"Oh wonderful," he said, smiling. We walked down the small street lined with little shops as we spoke. At the end of the block was a large cottage. "Here we are. Come on in," he said with a huge smile.

"Hey mister?" Brie asked.

"Yes, my young lady? Oh dear, I am so sorry, I never introduced myself to your friends. I am the Mechanist. And what might your name be?"

"I'm Brie, and this is my friend Ray. And I was going to ask you...in a fight between a penguin and a robot unicorn, who would win?"

I face-palmed.

"The robot unicorn of course!" Ray yelled.

"No, penguins are small and can slide under them for a sneak attack!" Brie yelled back.

"Not if they have lasers!"

"Um, sir?" The Mechanist asked. "What in the world are they talking about?"

"You'll get used to it."

_*4:23 p.m; Lily*_

I f-ing hate this. I hate Nick. This is her fault no one's talking to me.

Okay, maybe, just maybe, I might deserve it after treating her like crap all this time... But still, people love me. How could they not?

"We'll take two dozen loaves and nine jugs of water," Cody told the woman next to the cart. She handed him two baskets filled with bread and Ty-Lee the other.

"How will you carry that when there's only three of you?"

"Crap... Uh...do you have skins of water? Like, Water Tribe style?"

"In fact, we do. Just got them in from the merchants today."

"I'll take nine." He slung two on his back, and Ty-Lee took three.

"Lily!" Ty-Lee called to me. "Can you take some of these, please?" she said smiling. I gave her a half smile. She's the only one indifferent to what I did. I took the skins, nearly falling over under the weight. Cody handed her some silver pieces and we started to walk away.

This is gonna suck.

"Let's see if anyone knows where Teo lives. Maybe we can meet up with the guys," Cody suggested.

"Sounds great!" ever-cheerful, Ty-Lee said.

When can I just go home? No one here cares about me at all. I lost Mike, Nick and Mei's friendship... I have no one here.

Do I deserve it?

Am I that bad?

_*4:45 p.m; Nick*_

"So where have you been, Teo?" I asked. "After the Western Air Temple, you disappeared." Mike, Mei, Zuko, Brie, Ray, and I were in Teo's house eating dinner, which consisted of rice, noodles, and tea. Surprisingly, The Duke and Pipsqueak were here as well.

"Well, after we left, it was just me, The Duke, and Pipsqueak. We knew we couldn't fight on our own, so we decided that we played our part in the war. So I told them they could come live with me. It took us awhile, but we walked all the way back okay. We had to just wait it out from there, sometimes making the trip to the village nearby to hear the latest news on the war. Once we heard the war was over, we took some gliders and headed to the Fire Nation capital as fast as we could in the hope of meeting everyone down there. That's when we got invited to the ceremony and I found my dad again."

"Wow, Teo, that's some story," Mei said.

"Yeah..." Mike agreed.

Just then, Cody, Ty-Lee and Lily walked in with the Mechanist.

"!" Ty-Lee dropped everything and jumped on top of Ray, kissing him. We all laughed.

"We got all of the supplies," Cody said to Zuko.

"Great, you can set them down against the wall. We'll take care of them later. Have something to eat. You must be hungry."

"So Nick," Teo said in a whisper, "have you heard anything about Azula lately?"

"Come to think of it, no... She vanished after the volcano erupted in the Fire Nation."

"So then where are you guys headed?" he asked out loud.

"To the Northern Water Tribe," Zuko said. "My uncle and mom took refuge there..." Zuko seemed to reminisce. Mei put a comforting hand on his shoulder and kissed his scarred cheek. He smiled at her.

"We'll give you a boat," the Mechanist chimed in. "You can leave off the shore at the base of the mountain."

"Thank you so much," I replied. "We're heading north, guys."


	30. Chapter Thirty: Home

**Have I got a lot of explaining to do or what? XP**

**Okay, so I admit that you all must hate me right now for not updating any of my stories in months. But, I am happy to inform you all that I will be continuing my three on-going stories from now on I will update when I can, and I will be posting when I plan to update chapters via Twitter, which you can find the link to my page on my fanfic profile; and yes, it is now unlocked for any reader to follow me **

**Basically, I'm continuing where I left off, and then you're all in for a big surprise ;D so stay tuned; I'm back and ready for more!**

_**Brief Recap:**_

**The gang is headed to the Northern Water Tribe to find Iroh and Ursa, after making a quick pit-stop at the Northern Air Temple where they visited Teo and his father. Royal Caldera City was left under lava after the eruption of the volcano. (Fun fact: Royal Caldera City is the official name for the capital city inside the volcano where the upper class and royal family live in the fire nation.) They are now in the far north, traveling by boat to the Water Tribe.**

Chapter Thirty: Choices

_*4/28/10, 7:39 a.m; Nick*_

All I thought to myself was, "Thank God I don't have to paddle this time."

The Mechanist was up-to-date with all of the new inventions since the war, including the steam engine; so luckily, he gave us a small steam-powered boat. It was very basic, with only a deck the size of the average living room, and a small wheelhouse. Zuko steered the boat with Cody, Ray and Mike inside while Cody and Lily stood on the deck staring out over the water. Mei, Brie and I went below deck and lay down on the only two beds the boat had.

"What's the plan once we actually get there?" Mei asked me. "The Northern Water Tribe is like, a huge city..."

"I know, but Zuko could talk to the Chief and we'll find out if he knows anything. If he knows they're there, then we'll start looking. We'll have to rent out a few rooms at an inn for a few days while we look."

"NOOOOO!" Brie complained. "It's gonna be like my stupid ski trip all over again..."

"Pretty much," I replied.

"How much longer?" Mei asked.

I shrugged. "Probably not much. I'll go ask Zuko." I started to climb to the deck when I stopped and hid behind the wheelhouse. Cody and Lily were talking.

"Do you think Nick's okay?" It was Cody's voice.

"Who cares?" was the quiet reply. "I just want to get out of here. I hate her and everyone on this boat."

"I guess... It's kind of my fault. I didn't tell her for so long and now look at what I've done."

"So what? You don't like her. Neither do I."

"But I do... I'm just... not ready for that."

There was silence for a minute. I poked my head out to watch the scene.

"I guess neither am I. That explains why neither of us did anything with Mike or Nick."

"I just... I don't like how Mike and Nick are so close now. They don't like each other, but I don't need Mike being best friends with her."

"Me either..." There was a short pause again, and then a smirk passed over Lily's face. Cody looked at her questioningly, but she passed it off as nothing. I crept around the wheelhouse and slid in the door without either noticing.

"Hey Nick," Mike said with a smile. "Zuko said we should be there soon."

"I was just coming up to ask that, actually."

"It shouldn't be much longer," Zuko said. "In fact, you can see it over the horizon."

I looked out over the clear blue water and saw icebergs in the distance. After a few minutes, we were close enough to see the symbol of the Water Tribe. I ran to Mei and Brie and took them we were close. We all walked upstairs.

"Oh... my... God..."

The front gate towered over us as we approached, and we all stared in awe.

"Who comes to the Northern Water Tribe?" a man shouted from the top of the wall.

Zuko came out of the wheelhouse. "Firelord Zuko would like to speak with Chief Arnook of the Northern Water Tribe!" he called up. The men at the top of the wall bowed to Zuko and started to open the gate. Water poured down the sides of the gate and the wall began to sink into the water below. We pulled the boat into the city as the wall rose up again behind us. The gates unlocked and closed behind us as we made it into the city. We made our way over to the palace where we were greeted by soldiers who escorted us all off the boat.

"Sir," asked Mei to one of the soldiers, "did the people of the Fire Nation ever arrive here?"

"In fact, they did. There's an inn back a block or two that way," he pointed it out, "where Chief Arnook allowed all of them to stay. I'm not sure of much else though. The rest is classified information for now."

"Thank you very much," I told him. We proceeded to walk into the palace together. Once inside, we were surrounded by immense walls and a ceiling at least 30 feet tall.

"Welcome," Chief Arnook approached us and smiled as he bowed.

We all bowed back. "Thank you for speaking with us, sir," Zuko said. "Have you heard the news of Royal Caldera City?"

"Indeed I have, and I am truly sorry; however, the people of the city have made it hear alive but for some, barely." He sighed. "I'm afraid some fell very ill after their weeklong trip here without much to eat or drink. Our healers are doing everything they can, and mostly everyone has recovered but a few. The families are staying in an inn reserved for Fire Nation citizens for the time being." Chief Arnook paused and then smiled. "I believe there are two people here who would like to see you."

Just then, escorted by soldiers, walked in Ursa and Iroh themselves.

Zuko was glowing. "Mother! Uncle!" He ran up to them and gripped them in a tight hug. "I've been so worried about you. I'm so sorry for leaving you two behind..."

"It is alright," Iroh told him, "as long as you are safe." They hugged again.

"Mother, there are a few people I'd like you to meet. These are my friends," he said as he took her hand and led her over to where we stood. We all bowed to her. Zuko pointed out each of us to Ursa and stopped at Mei and I. "This young lady here is Nick, and she has become what a true sister should be to me, and she has done everything she possibly could to get me back on my feet." I smiled and bowed again.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," she said. She was soft spoken but was genuine.

"A pleasure to meet you as well," I replied.

"And this..." he said walking over to Mei as he took her arm in his, "is Mei. She is the love of my life." It was apparent that Mei had stopped breathing with a deep red blush. Zuko kissed her cheek.

"Nice to meet you," Mei said practically shaking.

"What a beautiful young lady you are. Zuko is lucky to have found you," she said, smiling. Mei visibly relaxed.

"Excuse me, Chief Arnook," I asked, "I've been told that the Spirit Oasis is a portal between the human world and the spirit world... Would it be able to take all of us home?"

He looked at me questioningly and Zuko cut in. "They aren't exactly from here. For the last few months, I've been in their world. It's very different from ours with all sorts of technology and advancements. But we need to know how to get back."

Ursa and I caught each other's eyes.

"Are you going back with your friends?" she asked.

Mei and I held our breath.

"To be honest, I do want to go back... But my people need a Firelord. And I don't want to just leave them behind." Mei had tears in her eyes that she bit back on. "However, I simply can't leave my friends. They're family to me too now. But I need someone to rule the Fire Nation; therefore, I coronate you," he said, touching Iroh's shoulder, "Firelord Iroh. And of course, Mother will help you rule." All of us started to clap as we jumped on Zuko, hugging him.

"Well, I think the Spirit Oasis can be of use to you," said Chief Arnook.

A few minutes later, we all were taken back to the Oasis behind the palace. Zuko said a tearful goodbye to his uncle and mother.

"Cheer up, Zuko," I told him. "Now that we know we're welcome, we can come visit and make the trip over to the Fire Nation."

"We shall rebuild Royal Caldera City," Firelord Iroh said, "but we shall rename it to allow all people to join us, if some Water Tribe people would like to come back. We shall call it Republic City. And I will rule the people fairly and justly."

"That sounds great," Mei said.

All of us turned to the Oasis and stood at the edge, holding hands.

"We came here looking to save the Fire Nation," I said. "But we had some losses who won't be returning with us home. I just want to say to the great spirits of this world, take care of them on their journeys, wherever they may go."

"Agreed," everyone said in unison.

"Let's go home."

We jumped.

_*5/3/10, 7:45 a.m; Zuko*_

"Back in school... How weird is _that_?" Mike said to me as we walked to our lockers.

"I know... But it feels good to be back."

"Do you know what everyone thinks about Matt and Chad?" Ray asked.

"I saw on the news this morning that Matt's parents were looking for him, but Chad's finally free of his family," I told them. "How's Ty Lee adjusting?"

"We turned the basement of my place into an apartment," Ray said, "though she was supposed to live with Mike, I asked my parents first and they said okay. My mom always wanted a girl so here's her chance I guess." We all laughed.

I opened my locker and a piece of paper fell out. I picked it up and opened it.

"What's that?" Nick said as she walked up behind me with Mei and Brie.

"Take a guess," I said, rolling my eyes. I handed her the note. She read it quickly and crumpled it up.

"Black Lotus?" Mei guessed.

"Pssh," Nick scoffed. "Nothing we can't handle."

_*6/26/10, 8:56 p.m; Zuko*_

"Wanna dance?" I asked her. The girl of my dreams looked up at me with those gorgeous blue eyes. I get choked up whenever I see them. "It's the last song."

"Of course," she said with a laugh. "I need to make it up to you since the last time we danced we were interrupted." I held out my hand to her, and she placed her hand in mine. I walked her out onto the dance floor as I put my hands on her small waist and she draped her arms around my neck. Across the room, I saw Mike do the same with Nick, but he spun her around as they joked and laughed. I wanted to really slow dance.

The song was "I Want to Hold Your Hand," the version by Chris Colfer. I knew he was her favorite and that she couldn't refuse a dance to this song. She put her head on my shoulder and we stayed that way through half the song.

"I never thought I could learn to trust and love again," I whispered in her ear, "but you've shown me that I can... Mei... I truly do love you."

She pulled back gently with tears in her eyes. She smiled.

"I love _you._"

Mei put her hands around my neck and pulled close to me. We closed our eyes and touched lips...

It was magical.

_*Nick*_

"I've never been happier in my life," I told him, laughing as he spun me around and dipped me again.

He smiled down at me. "Good. Stay that way forever." He pulled me back up and held me close. "I'll always be here for you. Know that no matter what, you can count on me. I promise you that."

Tears filled my eyes. "I know that. But I want you to know... No matter what I say or do, I won't leave you...or any of the others. I'll be here always. I promise," I said through tears. Mike took his finger and gently brushed them away.

"I already knew that." He pulled me close and hugged me tight.

"This... right here... right now... This is home."

**And that is where we leave off till the next chapter! Try to be nice, I'm trying to get back into the swing of writing again. XP I promise the next chapter will be great and exciting happenings await! I'll tweet when I'm posting new chapters so stay tuned for more! ;D**


	31. Chapter Thirty-One: Time

**Hello everyone!**

**Wow, look at how far everyone's come since the very beginning. It's amazing isn't it? But it's nowhere near over yet! ;D We're going to fast-forward a bit here to get things rolling.**

**Previously, on Spiritflame:**

**The gang had returned from the world of Avatar, with some friends lost, and other gained. But now, the gang has matured and are becoming the heroes they were born to be...**

**So who **_**was**_** Nick's father?**

**Why can Nick **_**heal**_**?**

**Why did Mike's necklace absorb **_**fire**_**?**

**What is the Black Lotus **_**planning**_**?**

**Why can't anyone **_**bend**_** in our world?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**

Chapter Thirty-One: Time

_*Two years later... 4/16/2012, 7:00 a.m.: Zuko*_

"I still can't believe it..." I mumbled to myself as I dragged myself into the driver's seat of my black, 2012, Cadillac Escalade. Another typical Monday in high school... 10th grade... I'm 19.

Last week was break, and we had returned to the Avatar world as we all did on a regular basis, once every month or so. Nothing usually went on, but things had changed..._drastically._

Since _The Legend of Korra _began, the Avatar world had almost...fast-forward in time. Everyone is gone...the only one being left was Katara... Including Uncle and Mom.

We weren't brought to Ember Island or the Northern Water Tribe...or even Republic City. We were brought to the Southern Water Tribe where we stayed with Katara. She had thought I'd died years ago, but the rumor was that I was traveling the world...and in a way, I was... just not that one.

We stayed with Katara for a week and I practiced my fire-bending with the White Lotus while Nick practiced healing with Katara as she usually did on our monthly visits to the Northern Tribe, with the Northern healers.

Anyway... I couldn't get over the fact that everyone was gone... Just like that.

But the Black Lotus wasn't.

We've been hunted down on a near-daily basis in the last two years. And they're after Nick and I, and it's not just about getting us anymore; it's about eliminating our allies as well.

Nick put a hand on my shoulder, snapping me back to reality. "It'll be okay. We're all here for you."

Nick and I walked up the stairs to her locker she shared with Mike. Him, Mei and Brie were already there, talking as they waited for us. Mei immediately wrapped me in a tight hug and kissed my cheek.

"Are you okay?" she asked, a look of concern evident.

I gave her a small smile. "I will be." I kissed her cheek and she smiled back. Nick hugged Brie and Mike good morning.

"So Ray and Ty Lee are really gone?" Nick asked Mike.

He nodded. "They moved out over break. They went somewhere in North Carolina. But he's been texting me and he says it's pretty nice down there. He says he's happy as long as he's with Ty Lee."

"I'm happy for them," Nick said, smiling. We were all relatively happy when you put it into perspective. We've been through hell in the last few years, but we somehow managed okay. Lily and Cody left the group too...finally. As soon as we got back, Lily never spoke to any of us again. And after the time Cody bashed Nick and Mike stood up for her, he didn't bother with us either. But at this point, no one really messed with our group. We all came into school with cuts and bruises constantly. They thought we were in a gang or had abusive parents or something. But mainly we played it off as that we all were accident-prone and rode our bikes a little too fast.

"By the way," Mike started, "there's some guys sitting around the outskirts of the school's property. Looks to me like it's some Black Lotus goons."

"Big shock," Mei said rolling her eyes.

"How many?" I asked.

"Looks like about seven," Brie started, "plus anyone that followed you two. If the three of us didn't walk together, we probably would've gotten ambushed by the two outside the main doors."

"Do we ever catch a break?" Mike complained. "I'm exhausted..."

"We _all _are," Nick said. "Look at us. We've all really aged in the last few years. We've changed a lot, and even though we're stronger, between fighting, homework, sports and family matters, we've got a lot on our plates."

"I say the worst part is the homework," Brie said. Mike nodded in agreement.

"Definitely."

"But you never even do it!" Mei said. "You just copy off Nick!" He shrugged and Nick laughed.

"I've gotten used to the fighting at least," Brie said. "It was hard to even stay alive before, but look at us now. We're strong and masters of whatever weapon we chose," she added.

"True," I said, "But that doesn't change its risks. All of us have at least one scar each by now."

"That's what fighting will do to ya," Mike said with a shrug.

The warning bell rang and we all knew we only had five minutes left before the real bell rang.

We all had AP European History first, and yes, that means I caught up to everyone in their advanced classes. For electives, I took the engineering courses with Mike, and for language, we all now took Spanish together. Other than that, we all take the honors program.

"Come on guys, let's get this over with..."

_*11:30 a.m. 6__th__ period lunch*_

"I've got three," Nick said.

"Two," Brie added.

"Two," Mei said.

"Five," Mike said.

"One," I added with a sigh. This meant that we each saw that number of guys outside at different times of the day. Plus any that we didn't catch. There could be 13 of them to five of us... and possibly even more of them. "I was right. Their numbers are growing."

"I doubt that," Mei said. "I mean, maybe they're just sending more after us since we take down their seven or eight so easily."

"Yeah but last time we fought off just ten, Brie got stabbed in the leg and Mike got a nasty slash through his arm."

"I'm already working on healing Mike and Zuko," Nick added. "I can't handle that many more..." And she meant it. Nick gets really drained after she heals since the scars are so big, and she insists on doing an hour with each of us.

"So then what are we gonna do?" Brie asked.

"I've got an idea..." Mei said with a smirk.

_*2:07 p.m. 9__th__ period*_

Mike and I finished taking some notes in the auto room just before the release bell at 2:10. Mei's plan had worked considerably well.

She decided that between each period, she would find a dark classroom and fire an arrow at one of the guys outside. Her foldable bow fit into her boot nicely when it was folded three times. When she took it out and opened it, it would click into place again. It was a new design given to her when we visited the Avatar world about a year ago. Her shot had become great, and in a fight, she'd climb a tree to get a good shooting range. You can imagine how many times this tactic caused her to fall and get hurt pretty badly.

As for me, I still have yet to figure out why my firebending doesn't work here when Nick's healing works in both worlds. The only time I did was when I first met her, fresh out of the Avatar world. I have an idea...but I'd rather not scare her.

The bell rang, and Mike and I sprinted to the lunch room where they said they'd meet us after the bell. They were already there.

"Ready guys?" I asked, my heart racing as the adrenaline started flowing. Everyone nodded. Every move from here was planned and calculated. I walked outside first with Nick to my right. Behind us was Mei and behind her was Mike and Brie. We were to give her cover until she could get to a safe place. Once everyone had left the grounds, we knew that's when it would start...so we followed.

We all walked straight toward Nick and I's house. But we knew to jump into the woods when we had a chance. And when it came, we all started sprinting. "Go!"

Once we got far enough in, Mei took to a tree and climbed almost to the top. She took out her bow from her boot, and pulled out an arrow from the other. The wind whipped her face in the early spring weather, making her squint her eyes as she looked around, bow raised.

We broke off into our usual groups, Mike and Nick taking the east of the tree, Brie and I taking the west. But we stayed within ten yards of the tree as Mei kept watch. We all got ready.

Brie pulled out from her jeans pocket her war fan she _found _after Lily left the group. Yes, she stole them. But it was better suited for this world and we couldn't have her swinging a machete over her head.

I pulled out my duel swords I kept in my backpack. Thankfully, the school didn't have very good security that actually checked bags.

Mike took out his took daggers from his sweatshirt pockets and got into fighting stance. I have to say, I'm impressed with how his fighting was developing.

And Nick had her shurikens out and ready, with the throwing knives Mai had once used. I had gotten them from Mom when we visited the first time after seeing her again. I gave them to Nick to protect her if she ever needed them.

We stood, waiting, watching, and listening for any movement or sound.

Then the piercing sound of an arrow flew through the air, pinning Nick's shoulder to the tree.

"_Nick!"_ I shrieked, running to her. But Brie quickly grabbed my shirt from behind.

"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine. Worry about them!" she yelled, running at a man dressed in black. She jumped onto a rock and into the air, kicking his head on way down with a slash at his face. As another guy came up behind her, an arrow pierced his chest and he fell to the ground. I knew it was Mei.

But I had no time to think because another one struck my head from behind. I hit the ground hard, and as I struggled to get up, he was ready to hit me again just before I slashed at his shin. I felt the sword hit something hard, knowing I had probably sliced through part of the bone. I quickly jumped up as Mei pierced his back.

Mike had pulled the arrow out of Nick's shoulder and the two were fighting, but Mike fighting harder to try to keep Nick safe. He was taking on two guys at once while Nick struggling slightly against one. Mike stabbed at one's stomach and as he doubled over in pain, he ducked under a knife and stabbed the other's groin.

As the second man fell, Mei got his back with an arrow and out of nowhere, a throwing knife jutted out the back of the first man's head as he collapsed. I looked to see Nick, where she had taken down two others besides those two, and Mike rushed to help her with a fifth and sixth.

Brie and I ran to help with the last two. There were four taken out during school hours by Mei, plus the three Brie and I had taken out, the four Nick and Mike got, these two last ones, and three others Mei got with her arrows. That made sixteen to five. We were on a roll... as usual.

Finally, Nick collapsed to the forest floor as her adrenaline stopped and her legs gave out. But it meant nothing because Brie rushed at one with her fans with me and Mei jumped down from the tree to help Mike with the other. It happened so fast that if you blinked, you missed it. And again, every move planned.

Mike picked up an unconscious Nick and carried her in his arms. We ran out of the woods back home, where Mike and Mei cleaned her up while Brie and I went back to school to get the truck before our parents got home.

Yup... just a typical day.

**So what did you guys think? :D please review! I'm getting tons of chapters done soon for all of my stories. And possibly Nicki Spirit is coming up this summer! I'm posting a poll on my profile and I want you guys to vote on what story you want next! Stay tuned for more! And Cursed Blood, True Souls is getting a chapter very shortly!**


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two: Secrets

**Hello everyone!**

**I hope you're enjoying the new aspect of Spiritflame! Just a quick clarification:**

**Zuko did bend in the very beginning of the story in our world, but slowly, he adjusted to the lifestyle without it and adapted. But it remains unexplained why he physically **_**can't **_**anymore.**

**Also, due to the Legend of Korra now under way, and Zuko has yet to be seen, (but his grandson was on it, and he's amazing!) Zuko will be getting more parts in the next few chapters as a little tribute and then they'll go back to normal.**

**And as a die-hard Avatar: The Last Airbender fan, Korra is a **_**must-watch.**_

**P.S; thank you for reviews, and the song of the chapter is **_**Confusion and Frustration**_** by Sum 41**

Chapter Thirty Two: Secrets

_*Zuko*_

I sigh, holding my face in my hands. I can hear Nick, Mei, Mike and Brie calling my name. But I don't want to answer.

I'm in the woods behind Nick's house, just taking it all in. So much has changed...and so much is my fault...again. I don't know what to do, and it just makes me so...

"Zuko!" I hear Mei call, but she's closer this time. I hear the faint noise of leaves crunching under feet followed by breath. I know she's there behind me, but I don't turn around. "Zuko..." she breathes.

I hear her walk over and sit down to my left, but I don't look at her. She sighs and tries to put a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off.

"Look," she tries to start, "I know you're thinking about how your world has changed so much, and how Azula is gone..." I don't budge and just listen. "But no matter what happens... I'm here for you," she says, slightly shakily. I hear her phone buzz in her pocket and I presume she took it out to tell Nick I'm okay.

I can't take it anymore. All these friends...they truly care about me. It's so different than my world. We were together for a common cause and later became friends. But with them, they truly just want to help me.

Especially Mei...

But I don't deserve it.

"Zuko, please..." she moves toward me slightly. "I know it's so hard for you... I just want to help..." She sighs and touches my cheek.

I explode.

I jump up and throw her off me. I scream and growl out of sheer frustration.

"_I don't get it!" _I scream at her, and she crawls backward, away from me. _"Why do you love me? Why do you care?" _I scream again and clench my fists, punching a nearby tree. _"I'm a freak! I'm a reject of my whole world! Everyone is _GONE! _Do you hear me? GONE!" _I scream again in pain, shouting at the sky. "_Do you know what that's like? I attempted suicide! I was with someone else before you! Azula got away and Matt is dead, Mei! He's dead!" _I breathe heavily, as tears start streaming down my face. I look at the ground, letting the tears fall. I wait for her to say something, but no words come. I look up and see her looking up at me a few feet away, not afraid, but utterly stunned.

I sit down again, facing the other way. Then I smell something.

Smoke.

The trees around us and the floor below me are either ashes or singed. Smoke is rising up in the air around us. I didn't even know it. I could firebend again.

But it didn't help me.

I sat on the floor, facing away from Mei. I heard her get up and start toward me. "Don't. Just leave me." But unlike how I thought she'd respond, she sat next to me anyway. We sat there in silence for a minute, probably a thousand questions running through her head. But she only asked one. And for our relationship, it was probably the hardest one she could have asked.

"Were you really_ with_ Mai?" she said. Neither of us said a word. I turned away from her."Am I...not good enough?" she says tentively.

"NO!" I stand up and yell at her again. I can't help myself. "You're perfect, don't ever think that!" But I realize the way she's looking at me, and it's on the brink of fear. I sit back down and cry. I cry hard. And I welcome the tears. Mei comes up to me and pulls my hands away from my face. "I love you. I love you Mei, more than I've ever felt anything before. But how can you love me? How can you love me when I'm like this?"

"I do love you," she says. She speaks softly and reassuringly. I need that right now. "And I'm a little messed up too. But you're perfect for me. It doesn't matter. None of it matters! Don't you get it? I love you!" She leaned in and kisses me first on my left eye, right on the scar. It tingles a little, but it feels good. She leans back to me and kisses me for a long time...

_*later that night...*_

We're all sitting in Nick's room. I'm on the couch next to Mei with my arm around her small waist. Brie is to her right and Nick and Mike are sitting on the bed.

"So everything was singed and there was smoke and everything," Mei tried to explain the firebending. "But it was definitely legit."

"So all this time, you could bend?" Mike asked skeptically.

Nick shot him a look. "Of course not. He just couldn't use it for awhile when he was here. He didn't use it as often as he used to, basically practicing every day in the Fire Nation. He probably got rusty."

"The thing is, I didn't." Everyone looks at me, and Mike folded his arms. Nick's eyes were wide. "But I didn't lie to you. I couldn't bend at all after the first day of being here. I tried, but I couldn't. I guess something changed."

"It could be because of the new show starting," Brie suggested. "Maybe that threw things out of balance for people from his world."

"Well there's also this thing," Mike said, holding up his necklace. It was the one with the small bronze sword, about three inches long with two silver dragons wrapped around it, with a green stone on the hilt of the sword. It was the one that blocked fire in my world. "Have you ever seen it before?" He held it up to me.

"No luck. I've never seen it before."

"Then why can it block firebending? It's gotta be from your world."

"Where did you get it?"

"Nick gave it to me as a present for my birthday a few years back," he said, looking over at her.

"Well, it was in my jewelry box since I was little, with the costume jewelry," she said, holding it in her hand. "I didn't think it was important. It looked cool, and I wore it a bunch of times. But when I met Mike, I knew he'd like it so I gave it to him."

"And you don't know who it came from?" I asked. She shook her head.

"And what about how Nick can heal?" Brie said. "To me, that sounds like something out of your world, too." She brought up a good point. Nick just looked down and shrugged. Mike put a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I have suspicions, but..." she trailed off.

"What?"

"Well, I mean, obviously my dad hid some stuff from my family," she started. "Maybe there's more to it than we thought."

"So now what?" Mei asked. "We don't even know where to start! The Black Lotus and White Lotus Organizations are based in China. And Azula is god-knows-where... So how are we supposed to know where to look?"

"We'll think of something..." I say, trying to come up with something not too drastic.

"I'll go." I look up, and everyone is staring at Mike.

"What?" Nick yells. "Go where?"

"To a Black Lotus branch. These guys that keep attacking us have to be coming from somewhere. And there's no way they're all coming from China. They have to have some sort of base nearby."

"No!" Nick yells again, and we try to calm her down. Her mom was just downstairs. "I won't let you go alone!"

"The less of us that go, the better," he argues. All we have to do is set up a way to follow them.

Nick tried to protest, but I cut her off. "He's right. And since he's the one with the necklace, I think it's his choice to go." Nick was quiet and just looked to Mike. He was set on going. He stood up, and in the past two years, he'd been working out, and went from a little kid to a stocky, almost muscular guy. He was the same height as Mei now, making him the second tallest in the group. I was tallest at about five feet, ten inches. Then it was Mei and Mike at five feet, seven inches, followed by Nick and Brie at five feet. But that was beside the point. Even though everyone had grown physically, we had mentally and emotionally as well. And I knew Mike was ready to take on the job. He's the most emotionally removed out of all of us and could handle the solo mission. "I think he can do this. And not only that, but he's the right guy for the job. Think about it for a minute. Any of us that have gone solo don't turn out that well. I think Mike is the guy for the job. And in a group, it's too much."

Nick heard it and listened. She knew I was right and didn't object to it.

"Then it's settled," Mike said, pounding his fist. "I can do this. Just tell me what to do." He eyed all of us but Nick, knowing how distraught she was. "Let's come up with a plan."

"Alright..." Nick said, "I'm in." She eyes Mike. "Just be careful."

"I will be."


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three: Trust

**Please excuse me for Nick and Zuko being slightly OOC in the past few chapters. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. And there is some cursing in this one.**

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Trust**

_*Nick*_

Last day of school before finals... And we're in a huge fight, yet again.

I throw a knife at the guy in front of me. It connects with his forehead, and he falls backwards as I jump onto his chest, pulling out the knife and throwing it again, hitting another in the face. I was on a roll, and I went with it.

Mike knew what he had to do, and there were only a few guys left. He spun and double-jabbed the guy behind him but didn't see the other coming from behind.

"_Mike_!" I screamed. He turned around too late. The guy had stabbed him in the chest, slightly to the right of his heart. My breath caught.

Mike fell to the ground, but miraculously, kicked the oncoming attacker in the stomach and groin, pushing him off. Mike was bleeding but not as horrifically as you would imagine. He stood, holding his chest and wincing. There were only two men left.

As Brie and Zuko took on the last two guys, I ran to Mike as the new backup medic of the group. I laid him on his back and held his held in my right hand and healed with my left. I poured water on his chest as he winced, and I started to heal. What sucked was that I couldn't bend water. I had to pour it on as my hand acted as a magnet, pulling the water to the wound.

"I'll be fine. Just cover it with something and let me up," Mike complained between wincing.

"I'm still going to let you go on the mission." I pulled the water off and back into the skin. "But I'm not gonna let you go in there practically bleeding out." Mike rolled his eyes and I turned my back on him. "Fine. Just go."

I didn't hear movement for a second, so I went to walk away, but Mike grabbed my hand. I glanced back, and he stared straight into my eyes. "I'm going to come back."

"I know you will."

He stood there for a second longer, as we heard a blast of fire rush behind us. Zuko was bending. That was his cue.

And unexpectedly, Mike hugged me...tightly.

And then he took off.

I watched from that spot as Zuko knocked out one of the guys. He stared daggers at the last one, and the man made a break for it. Mike ran as he grabbed the clothes off the bodies on the ground. He put on his pair of black sunglasses and a black leather jacket. Then he disappeared behind the cover of the trees.

That was our cue.

I pressed the button in my ear.

"Mission is a go."

_*Zuko*_

Nick held the comms unit in her ear like her life depended on it... or, well... Mike's.

We were sitting in Nick's room on the couch, huddled around her laptop. Nick rigged Mike's sunglasses with a small camera so we could see everything from her laptop. Mike had just gotten to the entrance of their base when we told him to wait.

He was in the middle of the woods with a door flat on the grass floor. It was stainless steel with a retina scanner next to it. We told him to wait for the next person to go in or come out.

"Ready Mike?" I asked through my comms unit. Mind was connected on his left ear, Nick's was on his right.

"To take them down? Then yes."

Just then, the door slid open automatically, and someone came out. He looked around and then disappeared into the woods. Mike knew it was his cue. He jumped down the hole, the door sealing shut behind him.

_*Mike*_

Complete darkness. That's what I could see.

I landed about ten feet down on what I could feel to be marble floor. It was cold and smooth. I walked forward, hands out in front of me, but I remained low to the ground in case someone could see me but I couldn't see them. I suddenly felt my hands hit something in front of me before revealing a hallway...

A _huge _hallway.

It was brightly lit, like something out of a spy movie. The floor was marble, as I'd guessed, and doors lined the walls on both sides. But there was no one in sight.

There were cameras everywhere on the ceiling, so I remained casual. I felt tense, but I knew if I acted natural, I'd be fine.

"Holy..." I heard quietly in my right ear. "Start with one of the doors."

I walked over to the first door on the left, which was glass this time. It wasn't automatic, so I peered inside.

And what I saw... blew my mind...

There were about fifty people in the room, practicing the same stances, the same movements with two people at the head of the room, leading them. All of a sudden, one leader shouted to them. "Let me see the fire!"

All at once, fire shot high into the air of the room, smoke leaving through vents on the ceiling.

They were training firebenders.

"That's impossible!" Zuko said in my left ear. "I could barely bend! How are they bending so powerfully here?"

In my other ear, "They've probably been training these people for years and we never knew it. Zuko... I think you're further behind then we thought..."

"How are going to take on an army of Firebenders?" Zuko protested. He was getting pissed...but more worried than anything.

"Uh, guys," I said quietly. "We have bigger problems."

As they went back and forth, I moved to the other side of the hallway. The same routine went on, only this time, there were Earthbenders. I heard gasps in my ears. I pointed to the door across the hall but a little further down, and they both gave me the okay.

As we suspected, Waterbenders.

And behind me?

Healers.

Which meant they only had more types and styles of bending throughout this hallway. And the hallway was _long._

"Mike! You need to get out of there!" Nick yelled in my ear. I was about to turn and walk out when someone called to me.

"Hey you!" I stopped and turned around immediately, using a bowing gesture I saw the Black Lotus use once.

"Yes sir?" I remained calm on the outside, but inside, I was debating whether to run. Now would be my only chance.

"Get out of there!" Nick hissed through the comms unit. "You need to move _now!"_

"She's right. Mike, be reasonable."

But I needed to find out what was going on first.

"What is your bending form?" he asked.

_Shit._

"Well, sir, you see..." I needed to think of something fast.

"The necklace! Ask him about-" in my left ear. I was quick.

"I have urgent news. I found this in the woods." I pulled out the necklace from my shirt. It was a bronze sword with twin dragons wrapped around it. There was a jade stone in between the two dragons. The man's eyes widened.

_*Flashback*_

_We were all sitting on the couch in my living room. It was me, Nick, Lily, Cody, and Mei before the whole thing started. We were taking turns in a Brawl tournament._

"_Mike?" Nick asked next to me. She was next to play._

"_Yeah, Nick?" I asked between kicking Toon Link into the air with Lucario._

"_I have a birthday present for ya," she said. "But I don't want to give it to you in front of everyone." Everyone else that year had given me give cards or cash. I thought she was just going to give me hers tomorrow._

"_Uh, yeah, sure." I let the others play a round before Nick was to jump in. We went down the hall to my room and sat on the floor. She pulled a small box out of her bag. It was black with along the edges._

"_I've had this for a long time. I've worn it once or twice, but it's too heavy for me. And I really love it, but I want you to have it."_

"_Why?"_

_She looked at me with a smile. "Because I know my dad would want someone close to him to have it, and I guess the next best thing is someone close to his daughter. No one else in my family could wear it, so I'm giving it to you."_

"_I... I don't know what to say..." And I didn't. I was stunned. "How do you know it's his?"_

_She didn't say anything but rather, held out the box to me. There was a tear in her eye, but she was smiling._

_I opened the box._

_And there it was. It was utterly...awesome. And there was her dad's name on the inside cover. It was in gold lettering, and scripted. I assumed it was his signature._

"_Nick, this is special. You really want me to have it?"_

"_Yeah..." She nodded, trying to hold back tears._

"_Are you...crying?" I'd never seen her like this before. She always put up a tough front. A tear fell, and I wiped it off her cheek with my finger. She nodded._

"_But why me?"_

"_You're my best friend."_

"_I thought Mei or Cody was."_

"_They're close to me, but I trust you more than anyone." Another tear fell. She told me once that her dad was her first friend._

_I clasped the necklace on and set the box on the dresser. I pulled Nick into me, and she cried for only a minute. But I rubbed her back, whispering, "I'll always be here for you."_

"_I know you will."_

_I never told anyone about that._

_*End Flashback*_

"Oh..." The man paused, staring at the necklace. It made me nervous, but I showed no signs of it. "Come with me. The Princess will see you immediately." I followed behind him, hoping I'll survive this.

"You need to run!" Nick squealed.

"I've got this. Trust me."

I was led all the way down the hallway, where I saw more types of benders. Lightning, sand, ice... Everything was here. But all of it meant our doom.

"Princess Azula is right this way." He pointed to the steel door.

"Thank you sir." He walked away.

The door opened automatically.

Inside, there was a long table with about ten people on each side, wearing the typical Black Lotus attire. Each of them had the weird black tattoo. At the end of the table, the girl who I guessed to be Azula stood facing a map, teaching them of some kind of plan. I'd never come in contact with Azula before. I was only one in the group that I walked forward and sat next to a big guy with huge arms, folded.

"And at the stroke of midnight, that's when you'll strike. We'll need one of every kind of bender at the Mente's, and a firebender, at least, at the others. Any questions?" She didn't turn around. "Good. Newcomer, welcome." I tensed. She turned around. Her golden eyes were squinted, attempting to frighten me. I didn't show the slightest sign of fear. "Do _you_ have any questions?"

"No, Princess Azula, I do not." She never broke her gaze.

"What is that you have there?" She eyed the necklace. "Bring it to me."

I stood up, and she stared daggers. Everyone in the room was staring at me. The air was tense..._silent._

"Address her like you would royalty," Zuko said. "Don't blow your cover."

"Uh, yes Princess." I walked over to her and let the necklace hang from the chain, as I held it out to her. She stared at it for a moment, examining it. I thought, for a split second that her eyes widened, but I blinked and missed it. She collected herself too quickly.

"Where did you find this?"

"It was in the woods. I found it when I was last out scouting." I could tell as soon as I said it that it was too much information. Nick's breath caught in my ear.

"Interesting..." she mused. She was baiting me. "And when did you find this?"

"Last night...Princess."

"Why was this not brought to my attention sooner?"

"I... Excuse me, Princess Azula." I bowed.

"What are you _doing_?" Nick practically yelled.

"I must use the restroom. May I go?"

She glared at me. It was like a staring contest.

But one that meant life or death.

And it was a test.

"Yes...you may."

"Thank you." I bowed again, taking the necklace with me, and walked out the door. As soon as the steel doors were shut, I ran.

A siren sounded, and red lights started flashing.

I failed the test.

Every door opened as I sprinted past, releasing a wave of benders behind me. They were dazed, not knowing what the siren meant. Only a few actually followed all the way down the hallway.

"We'll be there soon! Hang on!" Nick called.

"Don't look back, just keep running," Zuko said calmly. "We need to get there now. Everyone into the truck!" he called.

I climbed the ladder as fast as I possibly could, but from underneath me, fire shot up, and burned through my jeans. I winced but kept moving.

But then, an icicle shot up, and hit me in the chest, reopening the wound from earlier. I felt the blood dripping down my chest, and my shirt was sliced wide open. I felt fire all around me. My eyes started tearing from the smoke as I pushed out of the top.

I rolled and then ran through the deepest part of the woods. I came to a hill and started sliding down, followed by falling the rest of the way. At the bottom, I hit what felt like a rock or a tree stump. I couldn't tell. But I'd stopped moving, and I guessed they'd stopped following. I lay on my back, hoping the gang would come soon. I rested my hand on my chest and winced, feeling the blood all over my hands.

"Mike, just hang on," Nick said calmly but sternly. "You'll be fine."

I was panting, and with every heave of breath, there was a searing pain in my chest.

But I knew I couldn't pass out. I had to know they were there.

"We're almost there, hang on, Mike."

Everything started to blur, and things around me changed colors. I couldn't hear Nick in the comms unit, so I pulled them both out and waited.

I had to wait for them.

Nick trusted me.

I closed my eyes, focusing on staying conscious...

But I heard something.

It was a scream... But it was quiet at first. Then...

"_Mike! MIKE!" _It was Nick. Then I heard the rest of them, slowly, calling my name.

"I'm here..." It was too quiet... Too weak.

"I'm... _HERE!"_ I gasped.

Then it went black.

_*Zuko*_

Nick and I picked up Mike and carried him back to the truck. We drove him straight to Nick's house. The whole ride, Nick sat on the backseat bench with Brie. Brie held his head in her lap while Nick worked on Mike's chest. Mei sat up front with me, her hand on my shoulder.

And Nick stayed calm.

She was strong.

She could have lost him today, the person she trusts most in her life. And she sat there and healed.

She knew it was what she had to do.

We got back to the house, and Nick sat on the couch in her room with Mike's head in her lap. Brie sat next to her, and Mei sat with me on the bed.

"And now we know what's going down," Mei said. She heaved a sigh. "They're training every god damn kind of bender! What the _fuck_ are we going to do?"

I pulled Mei close. "We'll figure it out," I said.

"And now we know that the necklace has something to do with the Black Lotus after all," Brie added. "Nick, where did you get the necklace from?"

Nick was quiet the entire time. I didn't blame her, after finding Mike that way. "It was my dad's."

Mei gasped. "Was he in the Black Lotus?"

"No." I said it sternly. "He was probably undercover because we already know he was with the White Lotus."

"But it could've been the other way around," Mei said.

"No, it wasn't," I said again. "Why else would Azula hate us?"

"Because of you," Brie pointed out the obvious. She was right.

"But we know Nick's dad was good," Mei said. "Why would the Black Lotus kill him if he was working for them."

"And there's your answer," Nick agreed. "That's why. They wouldn't plot that, and then Azula know who I am and hate me if my dad worked for them."

"What if he's a traitor?" I suggested. Everyone looked to me.

It was silent for a minute.

"I...don't know," Nick said. She looked down. "I never considered that before now."

"Well right now, we can't worry about that," Mei said.

"Why?" Brie asked.

"We need to pass finals first."

All of us groaned.


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four: Groundbreaking

**I know it's been awhile, but none of my stories are over yet!**

**Here's a brand new chapter guys!**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Groundbreaking **

_*Nick*_

Today was our day to relax...and practice a bit. Our last final was yesterday, and some where tough, but most of them went well. We had a pool party, just us...mainly because we scare the majority of the school half to death. But we figured it's better that way. The less people involved, the better.

My parents aren't home, and we're all working on something...in our bathing suits to use the pool as a cover for when they get back. We could just jump in immediately. I'm sitting on the steps of the pool with Mike one step further in the water, facing me as I heal his chest. I rub my hand gently over the gash next to his heart.

Mei and Brie are trying to help Zuko improve his bending on the grass. He only can in dire situations or when he is in mid-fight. Doing it at will...has been an issue.

Mei and Brie were coaching Zuko through meditation techniques for the last hour in silence, and now they were trying a little bending at a time. Zuko would punch or kick when they told him, and only a small puff of smoke would come out.

"Why don't you try some breathing techniques with your fighting?" Mike suggests. "Didn't someone suggest that to you before?"

Zuko and I made eye contact. _Uncle._

_*Zuko*_

The thought Nick and I share is almost overwhelming with emotion.

I knew I'd never see him again, not now with my world being 70 years ahead of the time I was there. But Mike was right. Breath control was key as well as controlling my emotions.

I stop and put my hands together in a meditation pose with my eyes closed. I think about the world around me. I think about the heat of the sun on my skin, and I think about the cool breeze brushing my cheeks...

_Aang._

He was the only reason I became good. When I found out he was my grandfather, it changed everything for me. I'd known my life had been wrong for years when I realized what my true destiny was. I was fighting for him. And now that he has passed, I'm working for the new Avatar, Korra. But she isn't here, in this world.

I'm fighting for myself for once. Not for my destiny. Not for my honor. Not for my family. Not even the Avatar, really. I'm fighting for what I believe in. I'm fighting for the love of my life, Mei. I'm fighting for my true sister, Nick. I'm fighting for my friends. But most of all...

I'm fighting for a better me.

I breathe in deep and harness a new energy within me. It feels different from bending in the Avatar world. I feel like me. It feels like life.

It feels like fire.

I thrust my hands into tight fists and yell, fire erupting from my hands, shooting into the sky. They're small, thin columns of flame, but the sight was stunning with beautiful tones of red, orange and yellows, even slightly blue in spots.

The group stared in awe. I released my fists and fell to my knees, panting. Mei rushed over to me and hugged me, tightly. Everyone clapped and cheered.

"You did it! I'm so proud of you!" She leaned back and looked into my tearing eyes and kissed me. I heard Nick and Brie in the background, "AWWWWWWWWW!"

I stood and smiled to myself. I looked down at my hands, still panting and clenched my fists with pride. I knew I was ready for this world.

"Keep going, Zuko," Nick said. "Just keep focusing and do little amounts at a time." She smiled at me.

"Thank you," I said. "Thank you to all of you. You guys helped me find myself again..." I smiled at everyone before going back to small bursts of flame.

Mei and Brie sat down on either side of Nick as she healed Mike. They were exhausted from helping Zuko all day.

"So how are we dealing with the other benders?" Mike asked. He directed the question at Nick. "Besides Zuko, you're the most experienced with the Avatar world from watching the show and what-not, am I right?"

"I guess so..." Other than me, they were staring at her. "Well here's what we know thus far. My dad worked either undercover as a traitor of the Black Lotus or was a White Lotus agent undercover. The necklace belonged to my dad which pretty much proves it, and...what if my dad could bend?"

Everyone stopped breathing.

"It makes sense..." Mei says. "I mean, how else could Nick heal?"

"That's what I was thinking..." Nick says.

"I suspected that as soon as we found out you could heal," I say. Everyone turned to me.

"Why didn't you say it before?" Brie asked.

"Because we didn't know what else Nick could be capable of. And we still don't know."

"You mean to say that you think Nick is bender?" Mike asked, skeptically. Everyone just stares at Nick.

"It's a likely possibility," I continue, "because every healer I knew could waterbend. And when I first met Nick, I thought she was Katara. Did she look like her? No. But I had a feeling it was her. Maybe it was her chi I was feeling."

"It's possible, I guess," Brie said. "But you said she might be able to do other things?"

I was quiet for a minute. I looked at Nick whose head was down in thought.

"Zuko..." Mei started. "What else are you hiding from us?"

"It's up to Nick to tell it."

Everyone turned to Nick.

"You're a bender aren't you?" Mei asked.

"No. I'm not," Nick said quietly.

"Then what?" Brie questioned.

"I don't know."

"Yes you do," Mei said. "I knew you were hiding something." She said it flatly. Not angry or upset; it was just a fact.

"Stop!" Mike stood up. "If she doesn't want to say it, then don't make her -"

"No, you're right." Nick finally admits it. "I've known since I was little that there was something different about me."

Mike just watched her, waiting. For what, I wasn't sure. But what I was sure of was that he already knew.

"After my dad died, I felt this..._feeling_ rise within me. And I knew it wasn't normal. Don't ask how. I just did. And I tried...for _so _long to figure out what it was or what I am." Nick paused and waited. "I think that whatever powers my dad had were passed onto me after he died. It's just a theory, but that's what I think happened."

"I think I just felt that power, Nick," I told her. She looked at me, wide-eyed. "That power you felt. I think I felt it just now when I was bending. Did it feel like it was running through your body-?"

"Like a warm shiver?" she finished for me. She knew exactly what I meant.

"Maybe you could be a bender, Nick," Mike said. "You have the same feeling of power as Zuko and your dad had something to do with all of this in some way." Nick just stared at the floor, not knowing what to say or how to react to it all.

"What if...?" Mei started. She trailed off, not knowing whether to voice it or not.

"What?" I shot her a look, pressing her.

"What if Nick's dad isn't from Earth? What if he's from Zuko's world?"

Silence.

Then the garage made a dull humming noise, signaling they were home.

We all dove headfirst into the water.

_*Nick*_

"Alright, meet us back here at four. We'll go to the restaurant around the block for dinner," I said to Zuko and Mei. They were going shopping for some of Zuko's new clothes for the summer and upcoming school year.

"Fair enough! Come on!" Mei squealed, taking Zuko's hand and dragging him away. Mike and Brie laughed.

"Next stop," I said, leading into it.

"_Hot Topic!" _we said in unison.

_*Zuko*_

"Just come out and let me see!" Mei yells from outside the dressing room.

"Fine, fine!" I pull the shorts on and open the door.

I'm dressed in a light blue t-shirt with some word going down the right side. It's a light cotton but it's comfortably fitted to my chest. My shorts are light khakis and I also bought new shoes which were some sort of brown sandal that was closed on my feet.

Mei squealed. "You look amazing! I love it!" I did the little hair-flip thing to get it out of my eyes and I noticed Mei glaring at some girls. "Okay, now go try the red shirt with the black athletic shorts!" She pushed me back into the dressing room.

I sighed. "How much longer?"

"This is the last thing!" she called. I finished dressing and came out. She nodded her head in approval. "I like the blue better, but the red is definitely a keeper too."

"Can we go soon?" I said, pulling at the collar. I felt myself starting to drip with sweat. "The air condition in this store sucks."

"Fine! Change back to your jeans and we'll get out of here!"

_*Nick*_

"No way!" I pick up the bright yellow shirt and turn it over. "Pikachu!"

"If that doesn't suit you, I don't know what does," Brie said. She was holding a few nice tops for herself.

I looked around a little more and realized I had completely new things from what I used to wear. I held a plaid skirt, a fluffy light blue sun dress (obviously not from this store) and two pairs of sandals. But of course I couldn't say no to the Pikachu shirt.

"Hey," Brie caught my arm. "Where did Mike go?" I looked around for a second and saw him at the back of the store.

"I like this one too... And this one..."

"What are you doing?" I asked, staring at the mound of graphic t-shirts.

"I want all of them! But I don't know which ones to pick!"

"It's funny how you shop sometimes." I shook my head. "Go ahead." He held up a Regular Show shirt and I approved. Moving on...

My eyes widen as I glance at the mirror behind Mike. Clear as day, there they were.

There were two tall, bald men with black tattoos dressed in all black with sunglasses.

"Call Zuko!" Mike said, shaking me from my thoughts. "We've got to warn them!"

We paid for the stuff as I called Zuko. He picked up quickly.

"Nick?"

"They're here. Stay where you are."

"North end."

"Got it."

We ran as fast as we could, avoiding any of the Black Lotus. Time was running out. The further we ran, the closer we were to getting noticed.

We sprinted out of the mall and towards Zuko's car. Zuko used the remote to unlock it, and we started diving into the car.

But faster than I could think, I was lifted by my ankle, completely inverted.

I was staring into the face of the Black Lotus.

I threw a knife, shattering his sunglasses, shards going into his eyes. He let go of me on instinct. I fell about three feet before feeling Mike's arms beneath me. But then Mike stumbled and flew forward, sending both of tumbling down the parking lot. I shook my head and got up on my hands and knees. There was a huge gap in the pavement, not small enough to cross. As I tried to survey my surroundings with blurred vision, I felt a slash through my cheek. I grabbed it with my hand instinctively.

But it wasn't burned.

I look up to see a woman, dressed the same way as the other Black Lotus are, hovering a water whip at waist level. She raised her hands.

I closed my eyes and braced myself.

_**Hey guys! Sorry for the big delay in chapters again! But I'm not done with any of my stories yet! :D stay tuned!**_


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five: Hiding

**I know it's been forever guys, but please have patience. The stories will come out more frequently again as summer comes, so please bear with me (yes that's the animal but it's also used here lol). I'm so glad to be writing again and I just hope that you all stick with me! Thank you all so much! Chocolate chip cookies all around!**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Hiding**

_*Zuko*_

This was _not _happening.

The one place I finally felt at home was here in a world where, yes, I was a lot different from everyone else, but I was loved and enjoyed every day through all of the trials and tribulations I faced. This world truly tested my strength.

But it just became a whole new game.

I dove to the other side of the crack in the pavement and side-tackled the waterbender as the whip came down on Nick. She was hit but she rolled and softened the blow to her arm. She jumped up and looked around, eyes wide. At a first glance, you would think she was petrified.

As I went hand to hand with the bender girl, a flame past her cheek, a lash of water to the right, long, wavy brown ponytail whipping, I realized that Nick new we were being watched. People started to gather around us.

"What's the matter, _Zuzu?"_ The youthful faced, dark toned and shrill voiced girl hissed. "Afraid someone is going to _notice you_? You're a _freak_!" She threw an ice spike at my chest but I caught it mid-air and melted it instantly. She was right. People were going to notice.

"Zuko!" As I turned, a piece of cloth hit me in the face. I looked down at the ski mask and threw it on, giving Mike a thumbs up. I was surprised he came prepared.

I back-flipped out of the way as a tentacle of water came down at my chest, narrowly missing my legs. I looked around as I jumped up.

Mei was on top of the truck, firing arrows where she could. There were only three of them to the five of us, but benders against non-benders are a tricky call when the non-benders are so inexperienced at fighting that style. She kept firing at the Water Tribe girl.

"Mei! Help out Nick! She needs it more than I do!" Mei looked over toward Nick and realized she was letting her feelings get the better of her. She cared about me and didn't want me to get hurt, but she was letting that blind her. She fired at the guy trying to take down Nick and got him in the lower back. It made him stop long enough for Nick to get up and throw a knife into his neck. He collapsed, blood spraying.

I used a dragon kick to knock the girl off her feet, making her fall flat on her back. A knife cut through the air and embedded itself deep in her side. She cried out, and Nick came down on her fast, shoving the knife deeper. She wailed and hissed in blinding agony. Nick yanked the knife out and slashed her across the face, just enough to ensure she stayed down; it wasn't fatal.

Mei ran toward me as Nick rushed to help Mike and Brie. They were fighting off the last body-builder sized earthbender.

"You good?" Mei asked breathlessly. She was bruised on her cheek but otherwise appeared virtually unscathed.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I looked over to the others as Mei and I started running across the parking lot. I yelled, "She looked like Katara!"

The earthbender had shattered more than half the lot at this point, and Mike, Brie and Nick had to balance to keep from falling between the breaks in the pavement.

Mike dove across a crevice, barely keeping his balance as the ground below him shook violently. Nick grabbed his hand to help him upright. But as Brie yelled at them to move, the earthbender pounded his fists into the ground, forcing Mike off the ledge. Nick grabbed his wrist and fell on the ground, face-first. Her face was bruised badly it started to change color as she held on.

I rushed at the earthbender with Brie to try to distract him long enough. Mei went the other way.

_*Nick*_

"Let go," Mike pleaded. "You're going to fall too."

"I'm not letting you fall!" Images of the day Mike went into the base alone flashed through my mind. "I won't risk losing you again!"

"You need to save yourself! It's better that I go than us together!"

"I'll go with you!" Our voices were strained. My shoulders felt like they were tearing off my body. "I'm not gonna lose you again!" My hands were holding onto his upper arms, nails gripping into his skin. His hands were a vice on my arm, and I knew…for the first time, he was truly _afraid_.

"I'll be fine!" His hands started slipping lower on my arm. Without nails to grip, he was having a harder time.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not gonna let you go!"

"That's what I'm afraid of!" Then I realized.

The ground shook again, and our arms slipped further apart. I cried out, desperately holding on.

"What?!" I yelled over the roar of the earth shattering around us.

"I don't want anything to happen to you! Nicolette Mente, _I LOVE YOU!"_

The whole world seemed to stop for an instant and the ground shook again. I slipped toward the edge. Tears filled my eyes and dropped onto Mike's pale cheek.

"I love _you."_

"_Let me go!"_

Just then, I was hit from behind with a chunk of earth and fell into the crevice. Mike and I screamed and just as my feet left the ledge, I felt someone grab my ankles. I wailed as I heard and felt the pop of my arms coming out of their sockets, feeling the tear of muscle tissue ripping in my body.

"_MEI!" _I heard Mike yell. "_HURRY!"_

I felt my body come up out of the dark, and finally I was able to let go. Mike rushed to my side and picked me up in his arms. He gently leaned down and kissed my forehead as I sobbed.

"Shhh… It's gonna be okay." He whispered into my hair. "Just hold on…. Hold on…. You're gonna be fine…."

I blacked out.

_*Zuko*_

We were sitting in Nick's room, with her out-cold on the bed. Mike was lying next to her, stroking her hair and watching her sleep. I had the excruciating task of popping her shoulders back in earlier while she was out. She woke up eventually, drained, and she fell asleep in Mike's arms. Brie was in the bathroom with Mei washing themselves clean of the dirt and blood. Nick's parents were out, as usual, with her sister.

"I can see it," I whispered to Mike. His head jerked up to look at me as if he forgot I was in the room. He looked back down at Nick, stroking her hair.

"It's always been obvious," Mike said quietly. "I just couldn't lose her."

"Apparently the feeling was mutual. You both did a good job of hiding it." Nick's breathing was slow and shuttered once every few breaths. "You make the perfect pair."

Mike smiled into her hair as he kissed her head again and lightly stroked her pale arms. "I know we do."

Mei and Brie walked in to keep an eye on Nick while Mike and I cleaned up in the bathroom. Mike was reluctant to move.

"Mike_, seriously_?" Mei asked, dripping with sarcasm. "She's _fine._ I'll watch her." Mei rolled her eyes and took Nick's hand. "Just clean yourself off and get some air. You've been through a lot today." Mike nodded and walked out behind me.

"You realize what this means now, right?" Mike asked.

I paused. "That you and Nick are a possible weak point?"

Mike nodded. "But there's something else…. If the benders are sent after us, how long are we going to be able to keep this up before an army is unleashed? I saw how many of them there were. We'd be screwed."

"No, we're not. We all have an edge on them and it's that we're like nothing they've ever dealt with. They're in a foreign world, and we've got the home field advantage."

"Does Nick?"

"What?"

"Does she have the home field advantage?"

I looked past Mike at Nick asleep on the bed.

"I don't know."

**Thank you so much to everyone that's been so patient with me! I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I needed to do something small to get the juices flowing again. If you read any of my other stories, I am still working on all of them! So stay patient! And of course, stayed tuned!**


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